9:05 am, June 22, 2021
Goodwood has confirmed the Festival of Speed can go ahead after getting the green light from the Events Research Programme (ERP).
The event, which will take place as planned between July 8 and 11, will now form part of the ERP as a pilot event.
To adhere to the conditions of being an ERP pilot event, show-goers will either have to prove they have had both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine 14 days before the event, or proof of a negative lateral flow test within 48 hours of the event.
It means the much-anticipated Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard can now go ahead, after being put in doubt due to the government’s four-week delay to the lifting of all coronavirus restrictions announced on June 14.
This year’s Festival will honour ‘The Maestros – Motorsport’s Great All-Rounders’, celebrating the drivers, teams and manufacturers who have enjoyed success across a variety of motorsport discipline.
Lotus will be the brand celebrated as the Central Feature outside Goodwood House.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said: ‘We are continuing to expand the Events Research Programme’s remit to include more of our iconic cultural and sporting events and the Goodwood Festival of Speed will now return for the first time since the pandemic broke.
‘Festival goers will now be able to enjoy the raw horsepower of Goodwood’s legendary automotive, aeronautical and equine offerings up close thanks to our tremendous vaccine rollout and the increasingly popular use of the NHS App to prove your Covid status.’
Goodwood said it will announce further details around conditions of entry, consent required from all fans to opt into the Event Research Programme and NHS Test and Trace requirements shortly.
This year’s Festival of Speed is sold out across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Goodwood said the capacities agreed with the ERP will mean that all 2021 Festival of Speed ticket, hospitality and grandstand pass holders will be able to attend as planned, including those with tickets rolled over from 2020.
A limited number of Thursday tickets are still available to purchase.
