Culture creates jobs, supports livelihoods, and brings joy to everyone. The UK leads the world in the creative industries and being based in Coventry, MotoFest Coventry are extremely proud of Coventry’s cultural industries, particularly ahead of Coventry’s year as City of Culture.

Nearly £400 million has been awarded to thousands of cultural organisations across the country, including to MotoFest Coventry, in the second round of support from the Culture Recovery Fund.

This financial boost from the government, will help MotoFest Coventry and many more projects across the country through the coronavirus pandemic.

This second round of funding will allow MotoFest Coventry to confidently go ahead and plan for their recently announced MotoFest Month 2021 event series, taking place from 17^th July to 8^th August 2021.

MotoFest Coventry is one of thousands of organisations who will receive a share of nearly £400 million from the second round of funding from the Culture Recovery Fund to help with costs for operating and recovery. This second set of funding cements MotoFest Coventry’s position as one of the most prestigious heritage events in the country.

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s influence worldwide, past, present and future, on two wheels and four. The four weekend long festival in 2021, mixes motorsport with heritage vehicle and motorcycle displays, live music and food.

James Noble, Festival Director said:

“This second government grant allows us to confidently plan for MotoFest Month 2021 in a Covid secure way. We are delighted that the government have recognised the important work that MotoFest Coventry does in protecting and showcasing our mobile heritage.”

“MotoFest Coventry is unique in demonstrating the significant role that automotive heritage plays in providing a context for future transport innovation.”

Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they’ve ever faced.

Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors – helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“Spring is definitely here, bringing not only sunshine but that sense of optimism and hope for the future. We are all looking forward to heritage places and other visitor attractions reopening and I am very pleased that we have been able to support DCMS in delivering this vital funding to ensure the UK’s heritage sector can rebuild and thrive, boosting local economies, creating jobs and supporting personal wellbeing.”  

MotoFest Coventry was founded in 2014 and has run annually until the hiatus caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2019, MotoFest Coventry had a footfall of 229,000 individuals over the two day festival weekend, making it one of the largest and most important automotive events in the country. MotoFest will return in 2021 with a new format, the event will take place over four weekends, with different themes each weekend from 17^thJuly to 8^th August 2021.

MotoFest Coventry is to return in 2021 with new dates and a new format for the UK’s largest free to attend motoring festival.

For 2021, MotoFest Coventry will switch from its traditional date on the first weekend in June, to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme. Stretched out across the four weekends, from 17^th July to 8^th August 2021.

Each of the four weekends will be themed, with the initial launch weekend on 17^th and 18^th July titled ‘Your Future Moves’. This will be based around innovation and technology. While the first weekend will focus on future technology, there will also be a step back in time with an ‘Italian Job’ themed spectacular to launch the festivities.

The 24^th and 25^th July will go full throttle for two wheeled fans, with ‘Motorcycle Weekend’ set to feature a ‘Ride In’, dynamic and static displays as part of the programme.

The 31^st July and 1^st August is ‘Motorsport and Performance Weekend’, featuring a mixture of dynamic and static motorsport displays taking place around the City Centre. While there will be no full Ring Road circuit this year, there are plans for a drift arena and an energetic motorsport display.

The final weekend on 7^th and 8^th August is the ‘Classic and Performance Car Weekend’. Both days will feature static displays in the City Centre and themed events including road runs taking in Coventry and the beautiful surrounding countryside.

Across all four weekends, there will be various motoring themed activities and events including a week-long programme of drive-in concerts.

James Noble, Festival Director of Coventry MotoFest, said: “We are delighted to announce the return of MotoFest in 2021.

“As a result of the need to comply with the Covid-19 regulations on large scale single events, MotoFest Month 2021 will look different to previous MotoFest weekends. The festival ethos, particularly the commitment to hosting a celebration of the city’s motoring heritage, will remain the same.

“The new format will give us four weekends instead of the usual two-day festival, and the themed weekends will ensure, that whether you are a two wheeled or a four wheeled fan, there will be something for everyone to enjoy!

“We plan to launch with a spectacular ‘Italian Job’ themed stunt that will blow the doors off for fans of the film and motoring enthusiasts alike. This is one of many exciting new additions we have in 2021 and we look forward to revealing more details in the coming weeks.”

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “MotoFest is a key part of Coventry’s calendar. We all missed it last year and it’s great to see how it’s adapting so it can safely take place in 2021.                                                                                                  

“With the return of events like this, it feels like some normality is returning to the UK City of Culture 2021, and we can’t wait to hear more about the programme in the coming months.” MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across four weekends in July and August as part of the new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ schedule. As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport activity, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and performance vehicles, motorcycles and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, for everyone to enjoy across four weekends.

We have had a very busy and exciting year despite Covid and the cancellation of our main festival weekend.

Our first virtual event – Coventry Concours

As our main motoring festival was cancelled, the team came up with an innovative idea to host a virtual concourse with the Association of Heritage Engineers.

Throughout the competition we hosted dedicated rounds, dependent upon the age of participating vehicles. We saw a great variety of vehicles on show, from Triumphs to Jaguars and Volkswagens.

The winners were awarded a Golden ticket to the inaugural Coventry Concours at MotoFest Coventry 2021 and two tickets to The Bugatti Trust when it reopened!

The launch of Club MotoFest

On what would have been MotoFest 2020 weekend we launched our brand new members’ club – Club MotoFest. – to allow you the supporters and fans of MotoFest to get even closer to the action!

We saw a huge uptake in Club MotoFest and were able to provide a range of benefits to our members including company discounts, exclusive and early priority access to events and MotoFest News.

Our first exclusive Club MotoFest event!

Following our successful Coventry Concours competition we put together a fantastic panel comprised of MotoFest Directors and Concours judges. They discussed heritage and innovation, along with the key role that our hobby and industry will play in the recovery from the current crisis that we find ourselves in.

Once again, a huge thanks to Allan Winn, Angela Hucke, Reverend Adam Gompertz, Dominic Taylor-Lane and our Directors – Andrew Simpkins, Darren Langevald and James Noble for such an interesting discussion!

Shakespeare Run – Revival

The streets of Coventry rose once more with an exciting Covid secure automotive event, the Shakespeare Run – Revival.

As Saturday 26^th September rolled around, classic, vintage and veteran vehicles and motorcycles from across the region took to the streets of Coventry. The Run began on the Coventry Ring Road for a mobile start before leaving on a pre-planned, beautifully scenic route through the South Warwickshire countryside.

Fortunately, despite the array of 66 classic vehicles and motorcycles, no recovery assistance was required.

MotoFest Drive In Christmas Carols

As we headed into December, MotoFest Coventry and Jubilee Church Coventry put on two sell-out Christmas Carol Drive In concerts for music fans. The event ran over two nights with over 100 vehicles attending Millennium Place in the city centre to see musician Rob Halligan and his band play some festive favourites.

The event received so much positive feedback the MotoFest Coventry team are even considering hosting a Drive In Carol Concert on an annual basis!

Looking forward to 2021

As we look forward to 2021, the team at MotoFest Coventry are planning for a Covid Secure main festival in June 2021, as the start of Coventry’s year as City of Culture. We will be running a series of exclusive and early access Club MotoFest events so don’t miss out by following up on social media using the handle @CovMotoFest and catch our first Club MotoFest News of 2021 on 27th January.

Until then, heres to a Happy and Healthy New Year!

MotoFest Coventry and Jubilee Church Coventry put on a sell-out Christmas carols drive-in concert for music fans on Saturday and Sunday night. Over 100 vehicles attended the events at Millennium Place in the city centre to see musician Rob Halligan and his band play some festive favourites.

The event included a mixture of Rob Halligan originals, traditional festive hymns such as Come All Ye Faithful and pop songs such as Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody.

Rob told Coventry Live: “It was so good to be part of a live music event after the year that we’ve had. It’s been nine months since we went into the first lockdown and so this was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I was wondering what it would be like, performing to an audience stuck in their cars, but the response, lights and horns was incredible, and you could see people were having a great time.”

“I’m massively grateful to MotoFest for sticking their neck out to put this on. So many people put a lot into this to make it happen – it means a lot to people to be doing this kind of thing.”

James Noble MotoFest Founder and Festival Director said “We had to do something after the year we have all had. Tier 3 allows drive in events and so bringing a bit of Christmas joy to people was too good an opportunity to miss. Many people have asked us to make MotoFest Drive In Carols an annual event; pandemic or not!

The event closed with a festive number written by the musician, it can be downloaded for free here.

The main MotoFest festival welcomed 229,232 visitors over 2 days in 2019 and recent independent research by Coventry University showed the event provided an economic uplift of £10.4 million to Coventry over the festival weekend. The festival will be back on the 4^th – 6^th June 2021 as the first large event in Coventry’s year as City of Culture.

Almost 450 heritage organisations in England, including MotoFest Coventry have been awarded cash from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.

This financial boost from the government, thanks to the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will help MotoFest Coventry and many more projects across the country through the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 has been a difficult year for all events and heritage organisations. MotoFest Coventry was no exception, with the postponement of their June 2020 automotive-themed, cultural festival.

MotoFest Coventry is one of 433 organisations who will receive a share of £67 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to help with costs for operating and recovery.

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s influence worldwide, past, present and future, on two wheels and four. The weekend long festival mixes live motorsport with heritage vehicle displays, music, food and film.

James Noble, Festival Director said:

“This government funding allows us to start planning for a Covid secure festival in 2021. We are delighted that the government have recognised the important work that MotoFest Coventry does in protecting and showcasing our mobile heritage.”

“MotoFest Coventry is unique in demonstrating the significant role that automotive heritage plays in providing a context for future transport innovation.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounce back post Covid.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said:

“The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“It is absolutely right that investing in heritage should be a priority during this crisis and this support by Government is crucial.  Heritage creates jobs and economic prosperity, is a major driver for tourism and makes our towns, cities, and rural areas better places to live.  All of this is so important for our wellbeing and will be particularly vital when we start to emerge from this incredibly difficult time.

“Our heritage is still facing a perilous future – we are not out of the woods yet. But this hugely welcome funding from Government, and the money we continue to invest from the National Lottery, has undoubtedly stopped heritage and the organisations that care for it being permanently lost.”

MotoFest Coventry was founded in 2014 and has run annually until the hiatus caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2019, MotoFest had a footfall of 229,000 individuals over the two day festival weekend, making it one of the largest and most important automotive events in the country.

The streets of Coventry rose once more with an exciting Covid secure automotive event, the Shakespeare Run – Revival, organised and run by the Coventry MotoFest team. As Saturday 26^th September rolled around, classic, vintage and veteran vehicles and motorcycles from across the region took to the streets of Coventry. The Run began on the Coventry Ring Road for a mobile start to enable compliance with current Covid-19 government guidelines. At 10.30am the Shakespeare Run – Revival left on a pre-planned, beautifully scenic route through Brinkford, Bretford, Princethorpe, Long Itchington, Offchurch, Cubbington, Beausale and finally back to Coventry through stunning Kenilworth via the Castle.

The Run was organised as the first Club MotoFest event. Club MotoFest is a new members club launched in June 2020, to bring together our thousands of MotoFest fans and publicise the return of the festival in June 2021.

Festival Director, James Noble said: “The Run has been an amazing success. Being able to organise and carry out a Covid-compliant event was a logistical triumph, of both the team and the participants. It was wonderful to bring a bit of joy to participants and onlookers.”

The specialist vehicle recovery operators, Carman Recovery,  were on hand to assist if there were any issues or breakdowns. Magnificently with the array of 66 classic vehicles and motorcycles, no recovery assistance was required.

The sunny but chilly day brought out a variety of vehicles from open top MGs to Lotus Sunbeams and Rolls Royces. With many taking part in the organiser’s anagram puzzle to win free entry to the next Club MotoFest event.

With so much positive feedback, the Coventry MotoFest team hope to run more Shakespeare Run – Revival type events in the near future with less restrictions. The events are designed to bring people together and celebrate Coventry and the automotive innovations from the past, present and future.

To get involved, sign up for free to Club MotoFest and receive the latest event related news.

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Website – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/