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.
