MotoFest

MotoFest Coventry back in 2022

News 2021

MotoFest Coventry’s Car Weekend’s mix of classic, retro and modern vehicles drives 2021 event success

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MotoFest Coventry’s Car Weekend’s mix of classic, retro and modern vehicles drives 2021 event success.

MotoFest Coventry’s Car Weekend saw hundreds of classic cars on display across the city as this year’s new month-long format was hailed a ‘success’ by organisers of the festival.

For Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th August, the Broadgate area in the centre of the city became a showcase for classic Bentleys, Daimlers, Lotuses and many more famous marques, including some fine examples of the city’s most iconic motoring marvel – the Jaguar e-type.

The car clubs and individual enthusiasts had driven from as far afield as Manchester and the South of England, all drawn to Coventry by the clarion call of MotoFest’s annual homage to the city’s motoring heritage. 

Just a short stroll from the city centre display, those attending the Car Weekend were further rewarded as Coventry marque Riley celebrated its 125-year anniversary with a display of vehicles that showcased its own rich automotive history.

With the city’s iconic Coventry Cathedral providing a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop, the city’s University Square was filled with an array of the coupes, tourers and saloons that help shape Riley’s reputation as one of the city’s most famous car and bike manufacturers.

James Noble, MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are delighted to have rounded off this year’s new month-long format with the Car Weekend, a great success and a fitting finale to the festival programme.

“It’s amazing to see so many people travelling from all over the country to visit MotoFest Coventry. One such example is a gentleman from the Gay Classic Car Club, who travelled down from Manchester in his Bentley turbo R on Saturday morning and drove home Saturday evening. He enjoyed the day so much he drove back to Coventry again the next day!

“That’s the attraction of MotoFest Coventry, even in a Covid disrupted year people still make the effort to attend the festival and we thank all of them for their support.

“It’s been a difficult event to stage this year due to the challenging circumstances but our incredible MotoFest team, the City Council and all our sponsors and supporters have helped make it a great success. We will return bigger and better next year, with the Ring Road Sprint Circuit and various arenas all set to return, with new elements to the show that will continue to celebrate the city’s rich, automotive heritage.”

Alongside the classic metal on display in the city, there was also plenty of high octane, turbo charged car fun for the modern, motoring enthusiasts. The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, took part in a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and the ‘MotoFest Underground’ evening display.

On Sunday, MotoFest celebrated local unsung heroes of the pandemic, as 15 individuals chosen through a public nomination process, took part in a special ‘Heroes Hour’ vehicle parade. The community heroes were taken on a tour of Coventry in a vehicle parade featuring Ecto1 the famous converted American ambulance from the Ghostbusters film escorted by an array of American Police cars and a military vehicle of the type featured in Ghostbusters.  

Following the parade, Ecto1, the American Police cars and military vehicle all parked up as part of the Modern Modified Car display.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three 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, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends. 

MotoFest Coventry revs up for final weekend with full music and events programme

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MotoFest Coventry revs up for final weekend with full music and events programme

MotoFest Coventry is serving up a music menu to suit all tastes for its finale weekend with an eclectic mix of internationally acclaimed headliners and local talent taking centre stage at the festival.

The MotoFest Drive In show on Saturday 7th August, doors open at 7pm for a 7,30pm start, is an exciting Drive In show on the Nexus ICA Stage, in Millennium Place. It will feature MOBO nominated Sandra Godley, Coventry singer and songwriter Rob Halligan, who has toured extensively around the world as a solo performer and worked with 80s band Wet Wet Wet’s guitarist Graeme Duffin.

They will be joined on the evening line-up by UK Folk legends The Longest Johns, who’s track WellerMan has become a viral sensation. Other guests include Coventry legend, the Selector’s Pauline Black, The Zodiacs and musicians from the Coventry indie music scene.

As well as the music programme, there will be guest interviews and some of Coventry’s finest vehicles – past, present and future plus plenty of laughs for all the family. Tickets are available in advance or on the gate with details on the events available at https://bit.ly/MotoFest-Month2021

In the afternoon of 7th and 8th August, there is a packed music line up, featuring local Coventry bands and musicians.

In addition to the MotoFest Drive In Show, there will also be special Drive In screenings of the new BBC commissioned documentaries – Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, and Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain – all celebrating Coventry’s contribution to Culture.

Both of the BBC documentaries will be screened in Millennium Place, Coventry on the evenings of 4th and 5th August, both days and will be free to attend by registering in advance at https://bit.ly/BBCDrivein.

Following on from the BBC documentaries, there will be the MotoFest Film Festival, taking place on the afternoon and evening of 6th August in Millennium Place and the evening of the 7th August in the Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

For the MotoFest Film Festival, there will be an exclusive screening of both Disney’s Cars and the Blues Brothers on the 6th August, tickets are available in advance or on the gate with details on the events available at https://bit.ly/MotoFest-Month2021

A special screening of The Italian Job, organised in partnership with Flatpack Festival as part of CineCov, will take place in the Coventry Cathedral Ruins, with more details available at https://bit.ly/CineCov.

On Sunday 8th August, ELO guitarist, Dave Scott Morgan will be headlining the free Hope at MotoFest event with his band, along with Rob Halligan and the Psalm Live Worship experience. Organised by Coventry Churches and Hope Coventry, the event takes place in Millennium Place and starts at 6pm.

The entertainment extravaganza will take place across MotoFest Coventry’s new format for the 2021 festival. For this year, MotoFest Coventry will switch from its traditional date on the first weekend in June, to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme, stretched out across three individual MotoFest Coventry weekends, from 17th July to 8th August 2021.

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

“Following two successful weekends in July, getting us off the starting grid, we now head into the final lap with a full schedule of events and activities.

“The MotoFest Drive In Show is the culmination of a series of Drive In activities offering something for everyone that begin mid-week and ends across the two days of our final festival weekend.

“With the MotoFest Car Weekend showcasing classic cars and modern and modified vehicles, alongside the 125-year anniversary of the city’s famous Riley manufacturer brand and our MotoFest Heroes Hour parade, it’s all set to be a fitting finale to this year’s MotoFest Coventry festival.”

The final weekend on 7th and 8th August is the MotoFest Car Weekend, celebrating both the old and the new, with classic cars over 30 years old and Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, on display across the City Centre.

For the classic car lovers, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the City Centre with a showcase of hundreds of classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous car and bicycle manufacturer brand, Rileys, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will feature a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’.

On Sunday 8th August, the new MotoFest Heroes Hour parade will celebrate the local unsung heroes of the pandemic, chosen through a public nomination process. These amazing individuals will be taken on a special parade through Coventry and feature the Ecto1 car from the Ghostbusters film, a flanked escort of American Police cars and a military vehicle

Following the parade, Ecto1, the American Police cars and military vehicle will all park up as part of the Modern Modified Car display in and around the former Ikea Multi storey Car Park.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three 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, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends.  For more details visit https://www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/.

MOVING OUR FUTURES

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MOVING OUR FUTURES

Coventry MotoFest, Coventry University

Call out:

Launch open call – 28 July

Deadline – 9am Monday 20 September

Selection – 21/22 September

Notify – 24 September

Lab dates – 4-8 October (inclusive) (10am – 6pm)

General Information

This is a call out for an artist’s lab developed by Coventry Moto Fest and Coventry University.

The lab is funded by Arts Council England.

The lab is open to artists from all art-forms including visual arts, photography, theatre, sound, live art, design, digital and any other hybrid forms. It is open to artists at ALL career stages as a professional development opportunity. You must be based in the West Midlands, within travelling distance of Coventry.

The lab will be facilitated by artist Simon Poulter in Coventry. We will be working with a range of inputs from people investigating the way we work and travel in the near future. This will include inputs from faculty staff at Coventry University and also the public sector in terms of planning.

The week-long session invites artists to consider novel or distinctive responses to travel and what a truly connected city means, against the backdrop of Coventry’s year of culture in 2021.

A key objective of the lab is to broker links between artists and industry to stimulate a human centred innovation in thinking about connectedness. Artists’ journeys can be imagined in many ways and we encourage applications that are expansive in response to the theme.

The call out and selection of artists will be reflective of the West Midlands diverse population.

What will it be like?

Successful applicants will have an opportunity to make new work, learn new skills and participate in a peer-to-peer making environment.

The lab environment is intensive, friendly and encapsulates both practical skills and theory. There will be exploration of Coventry as a city, along with sessions run by other professionals. You will learn new skills and have the opportunity to present your own work to peers. It has been described as ‘like doing an MA in a week’.

If you have any particular needs around mobility or access you can identify these to us in advance, as the lab is built around the participants. If you are accepted onto the lab, we will call you beforehand to discuss the process with you and any particular questions you have.

What is the commitment level?

You have to be able to commit to the whole week, it is not a course, it’s an intensive lab.

Professional Development, food and honorariums

This is a professional development opportunity to develop your practice. However, we acknowledge that equal access support is needed, to make this open to participants on lower incomes. We offer a flat rate honorarium of £300 to every participant. Food is covered for the duration of the lab.

More notes on practice and process

The lab approach aims to fold live performance, digital outputs and site-specific production into new work. Artists are encouraged to work outside of their normal skill sets and consider wider producer models for making new work.

The lab will combine practical input from previous projects, with taught technical sessions.

Artists do not have to have previous experience of technical tools and may arise from any artistic background and skill level.

To Apply:

Write one side of A4 about the work you do and the challenges you face in your practice. Tell us about what you have been making in the last year and what you would do if you had the right resources. We are looking for artists at all career stages, who want to find some new directions in their work. We particularly welcome applications from diverse candidates, or artists that have not followed a traditional art education track. (You do not need an art degree to apply.)

If you are unable to write a side of A4 but would be willing to submit a video application including the details stated above, we will also accept this kind of application. Please also include any specific access support you would need to make the lab work for you.

Places are limited for this lab but in rare circumstances we will consider artists who work as part of a shared practice (up to two people). If you apply as a duo, then provide one application for both people with relevant CV and imagery of shared practice.

Send us some web links or a digital portfolio (up to ten pages as PDF format). Try to keep the file size under 15mb if you can.

Other notes:

We will provide lunch and refreshments during the day but are not offering overnight accommodation for artists. You will be resident in the West Midlands area and able to attend for five days in Coventry.

There are 10 places available for the lab.

Applications should be returned to: kat@coventrymotofest.com

MotoFest Coventry revs up for 2021 return as it reveals full events programme

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MotoFest Coventry revs up for 2021 return as it reveals full events programme

MotoFest Coventry is getting revved up for its return with a full programme of events unveiled for all of its festival weekends.

The latest additions to the MotoFest schedule are a series of Drive In shows and music events, set to take place from the 4th to 8th August 2021.

The Drive In screenings will begin with the special screenings of three new BBC commissioned documentaries – Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain and Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes – all celebrating Coventry’s contribution to Culture.

Each of the BBC documentaries will be screened in Millennium Place, Coventry on the evenings of 4th and 5th August both days, and will be free to attend by registering in advance at https://bit.ly/BBCDrivein.

Following on from the BBC documentaries is the MotoFest Film Festival, taking place on the afternoon and evening of 6th August at Millennium Place and the evening of the 7th August at Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

For the Film Festival, there will be an exclusive screening of both Disney’s Cars and the Blues Brothers on the 6th August, with details on tickets for the event available at https://bit.ly/CMFportal/. A special screening of The Italian Job, organised in partnership with Flatpack Festival as part of CineCov, will take place in the Cathedral Ruins, with more details available at https://bit.ly/CineCov.

There will also be a Drive In MotoFest show at Millennium Place on 7th August. A live stage show, it will be packed with awesome music, guest interviews and some of Coventry’s finest vehicles, past, present and future, on both 2 wheels and four. This will be further supplemented with the Nexus ICA stage, also in Millenium Place, on 7th and 8th August, featuring local Coventry bands and musicians.

The entertainment extravaganza will take place across MotoFest Coventry’s new format for the 2021 festival. For this year, MotoFest Coventry will switch from its traditional date on the first weekend in June, to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme, stretched out across three individual MotoFest Coventry weekends, on 17th to 18thJuly, 24th to 25th July and 7th to 8th August.

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

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

“The new format gives us a whole month’s worth of activities instead of the usual two-day festival, and whether you are a two wheeled or a four wheeled fan, there is something for everyone.

“We look forward to welcoming the public to a packed programme of events and activities, that will celebrate the best of two and four wheels across three festival weekends.”

Each of the three new MotoFest Coventry weekends will be themed around future innovation, motorcycles and classic and modern modified cars. The initial launch weekend on 17th and 18th July, organised in partnership with the Transport Innovation Board, saw the launch of the ‘Our Future Moves’ exhibition in the Coventry Transport Museum, celebrating new technologies and future innovation.

The 24th and 25th July will go full throttle for two wheeled fans, with the Motorcycle Weekend set to include the traditional MotoFest Coventry Ride In from the historic Coombe Abbey Hotel, Coventry to the City Centre.  For this year’s event, riders need to sign up by registering on the Club MotoFest Portal. For more information on how to get involved visit www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/motorcycles/ 

Alongside the Ride In there will be the Ken Fox Wall of Death troupe, static motorcycle displays, individual and club displays and the MotoFest Classic and Custom Bike Show – with trophies awarded across a number of categories.

On the same 24th to 25th July weekend, there is also the annual Coventry Concours event – sponsored by prestige classic, sports and racing car sales brand Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics – a premium car show with entrants having the opportunity to display their vehicles in the iconic Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

There will be a strong Coventry theme to the cars and motorcycles on display with manufacturer models from Jaguar, Daimler, Standard, Triumph, Rootes Group and Armstrong Sideley, all represented at the show.

The final weekend on 7th and 8th August is the MotoFest Car Weekend, celebrating both the old and the new, with classic cars over 30 years old and Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, on display across the city centre.

For the classic cars big weekend out, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the city centre to showcase over 100 classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous car and bicycle manufacturer brand, Rileys, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will feature a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’.

There will also be on Sunday 8th August, the new ‘Heroes Hour’ initiative, with 16 unsung heroes of the pandemic, chosen through a public nomination process, taking part in a special city centre parade featuring the Ecto1 car from the Ghostbusters film and a flanked escort of 14 New York Police Department squad cars.

Following the parade, the Ecto1 and the 14 American police cars will then park up as part of the Modern Modified Car display.

Nominations for the MotoFest Heroes Hour initiative are still open at https://forms.gle/UUHLHCML6eGGSni58.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three 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, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends. 

For more details visit https://www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/.

MotoFest Coventry launches ‘Heroes Hour’ to honour unsung community heroes

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MotoFest Coventry launches ‘Heroes Hour’ to honour unsung community heroes

MotoFest Coventry is to host ‘Heroes Hour’, with unsung heroes of the pandemic chosen to take part in a special city centre parade featuring the Ecto1 car from the Ghostbusters film.

The ‘Heroes Hour’ initiative will see the public get the opportunity to nominate individuals who have supported their communities during the Coronavirus pandemic.

MotoFest Coventry’s ‘Heroes Hour’ organisers want to hear about inspiring individuals who have gone above and beyond to help their community. From those who are key workers and NHS staff to those creating food parcels for vulnerable people, making PPE equipment, fundraising or any other acts of kindness and support.

From those nominations, 16 people will be selected to ride as passengers in the ‘Heroes Hour’ celebration parade on Sunday 8th August 2021. The parade will feature the Ecto1 car – supplied by Wild Car Hire in Leeds – and a fleet of American Police Department squad cars – sourced from the UK 911 Cop Car group – which will provide a flanked escort into the city centre.

Following a lap of the ring road, the Ecto1 and the 14 American police cars will then park up as part of the Modern Modified Car displays.  There will be a photo opportunity with the 16 heroes, to complete the sixty minutes of the ‘Heroes Hour’ section of the weekend’s festival activities.

James Noble, Coventry MotoFest’s Festival Director, said: “We are proud to announce the new ‘Heroes Hour’ initiative, a new opportunity to celebrate the unsung heroes of Coventry and the wider Warwickshire region.

“The pandemic has had a huge impact on everyone’s lives, and we wanted to honour the efforts of those who have gone above and beyond to support their communities during these challenging times.

“The ‘Heroes Hour’ parade will allow people to show their appreciation for the community’s unsung heroes and also enjoy an incredible spectacle featuring one of film’s most iconic cars.

“We give thanks to MotoFest Coventry team members Craig Hutchinson and Craig Bates along with Wild Car Hire and UK 911 Cop Car group for their efforts in organising the vehicles and the parade. It’s set to provide a wonderfully entertaining and uplifting finale to the final MotoFest Coventry weekend and we look forward to receiving people’s nominations.”  

For the nominations process, people are asked to complete the online form with the name and details of their nominated unsung community hero/heroine at https://forms.gle/UUHLHCML6eGGSni58. The nomination should include a few paragraphs about the nominee, including what they did during the pandemic to make them an unsung hero and why they should be one of the 16 chosen to take part in the parade.

There will also be further details on MotoFest Coventry’s social media channels, with the hashtag #MotoFestHeroesHour

The MotoFest Car Weekend – 7th & 8th August – will celebrate both the old and the new, with displays of both classic cars over 30 years old and modern modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, taking centre stage.

For the classic cars big weekend out, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the city centre to showcase over 100 classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous Riley, car and bicycle manufacturer brand, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The modern modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will strut their stuff around the Skydome area of the City Centre on 7th and 8th August 2021.

A Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’ are set to be among the highlights for the final weekend of MotoFest Month 2021.

For details on how to register a vehicle for either the Classic Cars or the Modern Modified displays go to http://bit.ly/MFMCars for more details.

MotoFest Coventry put brakes on Motorsport and Performance Weekend

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MotoFest Coventry put brakes on Motorsport and Performance Weekend

MotoFest Coventry’s ‘Motorsport and Performance Weekend’ has been cancelled due to logistical difficulties in securing available sites across Coventry City Centre.

The ‘Motorsport and Performance Weekend’ was scheduled for 31st July and 1st August 2021, with plans for a drift arena and dynamic motorsport displays amongst the weekend’s programme of activities.

However, plans to host the displays at pre-arranged city centre sites have had the brakes put on them as the result of various logistical challenges, including the use of suitable sites as temporary vaccination and testing centres.

James Noble, MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “It’s with great reluctance we have to announce the cancellation of the Motorsport and Performance Weekend.

“It’s a decision that we have worked incredibly hard to avoid having to make but the logistical challenges in finding suitable sites this year to host dynamic motorsport displays has proved too much.

“This includes sites earmarked to host the dynamic motorsport displays being recently switched for use as testing centres and to support the roll-out of the vaccination programme. Furthermore, other suitable alternative sites identified have also presented insurmountable challenges, resulting in the decision we have made.

“While we will have no Ring Road Sprint Circuit or Drift Arena in 2021, both will return bigger and better in 2022! We have plans to substantially expand both those key elements of the 2022 festival programme, which we will share with the MotoFest Coventry audience soon.”

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 three individual MotoFest weekends, taking place from 17th – 18th July 2021 to 7th – 8th August 2021.

Each of the three weekends will be themed. The initial weekend of the 17th and 18th July 2021 MotoFest will be looking forward to the future, highlighting the city and region’s innovations and technological developments with the opening of Our Future Moves, a new exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum.  

The 24th and 25th July 2021 MotoFest will go full throttle for two wheeled fans, with the Motorcycle Weekend, set to feature a ‘Ride In’ and dynamic and static displays as part of the programme.

The final weekend on 7th and 8th August 2021 is the MotoFest Car Weekend. Both days will feature classic cars, over 30 years old and modern modified cars under 30 years, in static displays and themed events.

For the ‘MotoFest Car Weekend’ there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the city centre to showcase over 100 classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125 year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous Riley, car and bicycle manufacturer brand, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The modern modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will strut their stuff around the Skydome area of the City Centre on 7th and 8th August 2021.

A Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’ are set to be among the highlights for the final weekend of MotoFest Month 2021.

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

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three 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, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across a whole month.