Do more for less this summer
Summer is always a busy time for classic car enthusiasts, with countless club meets, motorsport gatherings, concours competitions and much more taking place.
But it can be an expensive time of year, too.
The world-famous shows are epic, bucket-list events that are absolutely worth attending. However, tickets aren’t always cheap.
With that in mind, we’ve selected six of the most prestigious classic car and motorsport gatherings this summer (June-August 2026), and also highlighted six cut-price alternatives – proof there’s something for everyone.
Our picks are presented in pairs, each with a spend and a save option, and listed in chronological order (based on the dates of the larger, pricier events).
Where applicable, we’ve included the cost of one-day adult admission for comparison, unless stated otherwise, with prices given in the local currency.
1. Spend: London Concours
When: 9-11 June 2026
Where: Honourable Artillery Company, London, UK
Price: £65
London Concours is an easy-to-reach, three-day celebration of classic cars in the heart of the British capital.
There are great transport links, both from within the city (it’s near Old Street, Barbican and Moorgate Underground stations) and outside; on public transport, the Honourable Artillery Company is less than 45 minutes away from Waterloo and Victoria train stations, and just a quarter of an hour from Euston.
The show itself will host a selection of eye-catching classics, including a Lamborghini Diablo that belonged to rock star Rod Stewart, a rare Mercedes-Benz SL73 AMG (that’s in our July 2026 magazine!) and a set of gorgeous Alfa Romeos.
The £65 price quoted above is for all-day admission, but afternoon- and evening-only entry is available for less.
What’s more, Classic & Sports Car readers can save 20% by using the code ‘CSC26’ when buying tickets in advance online.
For full details, click here.
1. Save: MotoFest Coventry Classic
When: 6-7 June 2026
Where: Coventry, West Midlands, UK
Price: free
This free-to-attend alternative to London Concours takes place in Coventry, once the heart of the UK’s motor industry.
The new-for-2026 MotoFest Coventry Classic is a two-day tribute to the city’s automotive legacy.
One of the highlights is the concours competition that’s held in the remains of the original Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed in WW2.
It’s open to all makes and models, but there’s a focus on marques associated with the city. Last year’s winner was a 1994 Jaguar XJS.
And that’s not all: classics are set to take over the city centre across the weekend. You’ll find a Jaguar XJ40 celebration, an autotest beneath the ring road and much more.
Being in England’s most central city, MotoFest Coventry Classic is easily accessible from almost every corner of the country and beyond, either by car or public transport: the train station has direct links to London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.
For full details, click here.
2. Spend: Le Mans Classic Legend
When: 2-5 July 2026
Where: Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France
Price: €43-57
Endurance racers built between 1972 and 2015 will take on the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans this July for the first Le Mans Classic Legend, as the much-loved Le Mans Classic enters a new era.
Expect turbocharged Porsches, Group C Jaguars, GT3 machines and more.
The event attracts enthusiasts from across Europe and further afield; British visitors catching the ferry from Portsmouth or the Eurotunnel LeShuttle from Folkestone will likely see hundreds more classic car fans making the pilgrimage to France.
In fact, it’s one of the biggest and most popular historic motorsport spectacles in the world.
Tickets aren’t outrageously expensive (four-day admission starts at €174), but it will quickly add up when you factor in travel and accommodation.
P.S. If it’s the ‘golden age’ of endurance racing that gets your blood pumping, then look out for details about next year’s Le Mans Classic Heritage, which will welcome pre-1976 cars to the 8.5-mile track.
For full details, click here.
2. Save: Trophées d’Auvergne
When: 10-12 July 2026
Where: Circuit de Charade, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
Price: €15
One week after the Le Mans retrospective – and around 260 miles south-east – another historic French circuit will host classic racing cars for the first Trophées d’Auvergne.
The event, organised by Motor Racing Legends, will bring pre-war cars, 2-litre prototypes, pre-1966 GTs and more to the 2.47-mile race track, which Sir Stirling Moss described as the most beautiful in the world.
If you’re travelling from abroad – and depending on where you’re driving from – the benefit of attending this low-cost alternative to Le Mans Classic Legend might be offset by the additional fuel bill.
However, a weekend pass is priced at just €25, which might free up funds for a fantastic road trip.
Alternatively, you might’ve visited Le Mans Classic before, in which case this brand-new gathering could offer a fresh adventure.
For full details, click here.
3. Spend: British Grand Prix
When: 2-5 July 2026
Where: Silverstone, Northamptonshire, UK
Price: from £379 (for Sunday)
For British motorsport fans, there’s only one place to see the latest Formula One cars do battle: Silverstone.
Famous corners like Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel, plus Stowe and Club, help make sure the racing is always fantastic.
There are five British drivers on the 2026 grid – six if you include UK-born Alex Albon – one of which is the current champion, so expect a buzzing crowd, too.
There’s only one problem: tickets cannot be described as cheap. At the time of writing, the lowest-priced race-day option was £379 – and that’s before you consider parking, park and ride, or other transport options.
It’s worth remembering that this year’s British Grand Prix is one of six F1 Sprint weekends in 2026, so there’s even more to see.
That means there’s a sprint qualifying session on the Friday, then the shorter, 100km sprint race (around ⅓ of a full Grand Prix distance) on Saturday plus Grand Prix qualifying, as well as Sunday’s big race – and there’s live music to enjoy on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Oh, and comedy, darts and DJ sets.
Admission on Friday only costs from £129, while Saturday entry is from £239.
For full details, click here.
3. Save: Grand Prix Centenary at Brooklands
When: 8 August 2026
Where: Brooklands Museum, Surrey, UK
Price: £39.95
If only there was a cheaper way to see Formula One cars this summer… Luckily, Brooklands Museum has you covered.
Although Silverstone hosted the first F1 race in 1950, Brooklands had the honour of putting on the first British Grand Prix in 1926, as you can see in the evocative image above.
On 8 August 2026, the historic site will mark the centenary of that event, which was officially called the Grand Prix of the Royal Automobile Club.
The spectacle will welcome 100 Grand Prix machines to Brooklands, from motor-racing pioneers to modern F1 cars.
Plus, there will be live demonstrations on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World circuit and displays on the remains of the Members’ Banking.
In fact, reigning F1 constructors’ champion McLaren is bringing a set of cars including two previous title winners, M23 and MP4/6, both of which will be in action on 8 August.
You won’t get wheel-to-wheel racing, but you will get a unique anniversary experience.
For full details, click here.
4. Spend: Concours of Elegance Germany
When: 4-5 July 2026
Where: Gut Kaltenbrunn, Lake Tegernsee, Germany
Price: €80
If you’re after a classic car event with a view, then Concours of Elegance Germany, on the shores of Lake Tegernsee – a picture-perfect resort nestled in the Bavarian Alps – rivals Lake Como’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and the stunning Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on the Californian coast.
Expect a line-up of rarefied machines at Gut Kaltenbrunn, the 15th-century manor house that hosts this two-day spectacular. It’s a 40-minute drive from Munich.
A 1932 Austro-Daimler Bergmeister won the Best of Show crown at last year’s edition, while the Chairman’s Award went to a Chapron-bodied 1939 Talbot-Lago T23.
One-day admission is €80, but you can get an afternoon-only ticket (which gives you access to the event from 2-6pm) for €45.
For full details, click here.
4. Save: Oldtimer-Meeting Baden-Baden
When: 10-12 July 2026
Where: Kurgarten vor dem Kurhaus, Baden-Baden, Germany
Price: €9-15
This ‘open-air museum of automotive history’ takes place in Baden-Baden’s stunning spa garden.
The 49th Oldtimer-Meeting will bring 350-plus vehicles (representing more than a century of motoring) to the German town for a weekend of classic festivities.
The long-running show is becoming more popular, too: last year’s edition welcomed a record-breaking 26,000 enthusiasts.
In 2026, the spotlight will be on BMW, with special tributes to the 327/28, Z3 and Neue Klasse models.
You can enter your pre-1980 classic car in the concours for €50. Entries are limited, so you’ll need to book quickly.
For full details, click here.
5. Spend: Goodwood Festival of Speed
When: 9-12 July 2026
Where: Goodwood Estate, West Sussex, UK
Price: £78-125
The world-famous Goodwood Festival of Speed, on the south coast of England, is a huge melting pot of the automotive and motorsport worlds: everything from pre-war racing cars and endurance prototypes to NASCARs, F1 racers and the latest supercars will tackle the 1.16-mile hillclimb during the four-day festival.
Plus, there’s the Cartier Style et Luxe classic car concours, the forest rally stage and lots more.
This year, the central sculpture will be dedicated to Porsche restomod maker Singer. A selection of the Californian firm’s ‘reimagined’ 911s will be in action across the weekend.
From humble beginnings in 1993, this is now one of the greatest car events in the world. The most affordable way to get involved is by purchasing a £78 Thursday ticket.
For full details, click here.
5. Save: Classic Nostalgia
When: 18-19 July 2026
Where: Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, Worcestershire, UK
Price: £35 (on the gate)
Or, you can head to one of the UK’s other famous hillclimbs: Shelsley Walsh.
The Worcestershire track might not be as well known as Goodwood, but it’s got history: picture-perfect Shelsley Walsh is the world’s oldest motorsport venue still using its original course.
Formula One racers, a dozen NASCARs and much more will take on the 1000-yard hillclimb during Classic Nostalgia, plus there will be a 25th-anniversary celebration of Richard Burns’ World Rally Championship drivers’ title.
Classic & Sports Car’s relaxed concours takes place on the Sunday. It’s free to enter and there’s no need to book beforehand – simply turn up in your pre-1985 classic car on the day.
Save money when you buy advance tickets online, plus as a C&SC reader, you can get a 25% discount by quoting ‘CSC26’ when booking via the Classic Nostalgia website.
For full details, click here.
6. Spend: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
When: 16 August 2026
Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, USA
Price: $550
Some of the world’s finest classic cars and their owners will gather in California this summer for the 75th Pebble Beach concours.
Last year’s winner was a Torpedo-bodied Hispano-Suiza (above).
An incredible set of restored, preserved and ultra-rare vehicles will be vying for the 2026 title.
The pageant started in 1950 when it became an informal addition to the Pebble Beach Road Races, which were abandoned in 1956. Now the concours is one of the most exclusive automotive events in the world.
Its reputation is reflected in the price of general admission: tickets cost a lofty $550, rising to $650 on 1 August.
For full details, click here.
6. Save: Concours d’Lemons
When: 15 August 2026
Where: Seaside City Hall, California, USA
Price: free
If you’re searching for the ultimate antidote to the super-expensive vehicles at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, then look no further than the Concours d’Lemons.
As the organisers put it, this tribute to mundane cars and curious classics celebrates the ‘un-best of the automotive world’.
This year it returns to Seaside City Hall to ‘ruin Monterey Auto Week’.
If you think your car can compete for the Worst of Show award (last year’s victor was the UFO-inspired Galaxy Glider), you can enter for $28.52. Spectator access is free.
Alternatively, here’s a bonus Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance substitute: if you want to see the concours entrants but you don’t have $550 to spend on a ticket, more than 150 of those cars will take part in the Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance on 13 August. This road trip covers 17-Mile Drive, Highway One and Big Sur – and there are various free-to-enter spectator spots along the way.
For Concours d’Lemons details, click here. For more information about the Tour d’Elegance, click here.
Want more classic car events this summer? Check out our packed calendar, here.