Music and motoring festival CarFest is to take place at Silverstone for the first time this weekend
The event runs from Friday until Sunday, with headliners featuring Jessie J, Sir Tom Jones and Nile Rodgers & Chic
Organisers previously said the move to the famous Northamptonshire circuit “means that no one from either north or south has an excuse not to join us”
What can festival-goers expect to see and do this year?
What is CarFest?
CarFest was founded by radio presenter Chris Evans in 2012 to “celebrate all things automotive”
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Classic, vintage cars will be on display, while cutting-edge supercars will roar around the track
The festival says it has raised more than £28m for UK children’s charities, including BBC Children in Need, the Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Epilepsy over the years
This year, Northamptonshire Community Foundation (NCF) has been chosen as a partner and is set to receive 2% of the money raised
Why has it moved to Silverstone?
Location, location, location
Organisers feel a site in central England offers easier access to more people than its previous home at Laverstoke Park Farm in Overton, Hampshire
“This move opens up possibilities we’ve never had before, more space, more cars, more ways to surprise and delight our audience and most importantly an opportunity to raise even more money for UK children’s charities,”
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The circuit, near Towcester, is the home of the British Grand Prix, but also hosts motorbike racing event MotoGP and karting events
Its chief executive Stuart Pringle previously said: “Silverstone has evolved into a year-round destination for world-class events, and we are thrilled to be working with CarFest.”
Who’s performing?
The music line-up includes Rick Astley, the Sugarbabes, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and The Proclaimers
Former Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith is taking part in FoodFest, along with plenty of other cooks, including Big Nath, Ching He-Huang and José Pizzaro
There will also be opportunities for people to chill out at yoga and mindfulness sessions in its SpaFest
How do we get there?
Organisers say access to the site near Towcester is “exceptionally easy along the A43 dual carriageway from the M1 motorway”
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Parking on site opens at 08:30 BST each day, while the festival gets under way from 10:00
There are public transport options, including Stagecoach buses that drop passengers nearby, but the nearest railway station, Wolverton, is 10 miles (16km) away
What’s the weather forecast?
After such a scorching summer, the Met Office is predicting rain falling for some or all of Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Temperatures are forecast to reach about 19 or 20C, with some sunshine
So it looks like the sensible advice is to treat the weekend like a typical English August Bank Holiday – and come prepared for all weather eventualities
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