From motors to music and everything in between: Carfest returns to Lavertoke Park Farm

The UK’s largest family fundraising festival, CarFest, welcomed guests to Laverstoke Park Farm over the August bank holiday weekend.

This year was bigger and better than ever, featuring seven festivals in one. 75,000 visitors revelled in everything from food and music, to cars and celebrities.

Across the weekend, the main stage was ignited by performances from chart-topping artists like Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, James Blunt and Paloma Faith. Kaiser Chiefs captivated audiences with their timeless hits, 'Ruby' and 'I Predict A Riot', and guests put on their disco pants for the ABBA tribute band, Bjorn Again.

Molly Rainford gave a cosmic performance as her CBBC character Nova Jones, and the CarFest Supergroup, formed of Max Harwood, Freya Ridings and Rob Brydon took to the stage much to the delight of fans.

Paying homage to the motoring innovations of the 70s, CarFest also showcased the spectacular cars of Jody Scheckter’s Formula 1 career. Cars of all calibres took to the Kwik Fit-Michelin Track for daily shows, hosted by Mike Bushell. With over 120 cars from the past, present and future, guests had the opportunity to get up close and personal at the Kwik Fit-Michelin Paddock, as well as the chance to bag a dream ride at the Sporting Bears.

The cinch Paddock housed an impressive range of cars to browse, test drive and buy, curated for a variety of needs such as school runs and business meetings. In support of UK charities, cinch donated £50 for every car sold at the festival, presenting a cheque for £50,000 for the event’s charity partners.

Love Salisbury's motoring correspondent, Oliver Harry said, "CarFest lived up to its name with an eclectic range of cars on display. From the McLaren P1 to the Tesla Model X, every petrolhead was catered for over the course of the weekend.

"The circuit which forms the heart of the event provided plenty of thrills - whether it was an Aston Martin Vantage safety car blasting past or TV chef James Martin wrestling with a Ford GT40.

"Although the track is not comparable to Goodwood’s hillclimb in scale, the tight proximity enabled spectators to get far closer to the action.

"Watching a Jaguar MKII blow its tyre as it performed donuts in front of packed crowds was certainly memorable, as was watching former Formula One World Champion (and Laverstock Farm owner) Jody Scheckter frightening passengers in an AMG Mercedes. In fact, Scheckter’s presence went far further than a few hot laps behind the wheel. A cluster of his most iconic F1 cars were on proud display - including the notorious Tyrrell P34 six wheeler and championship-winning Ferrari 312 T4 from 1979.

"Overall, CarFest provided the perfect balance between car culture and family fun, standing as a more accessible alternative to the Goodwood Festival of Speed."

This year’s newest addition, SpaFest was brimming with everything mind, body and spirit steered by experts and advocates such as Tom Chapman, Dr Alex George and Simon Alexander Ong hosting discussions at the Inspiration Hub.

Taking to the SpaFest stage was a line-up of celebrities and wellness gurus including Outta Puff Daddys leading a powerful talk on men’s mental health and Bryony Gordon sharing insights into her wellness journey. In The Studio, visitors quite literally laughed their socks off with Stephanie Hill’s Laughtercise class, and the Vegan Village housed a fantastic range of plant-based products from outlets across the country to browse and take home. After a jam-packed day of festivities, visitors could treat themselves to a glorious massage session courtesy of Soul Stretch.

StarFest boasted one of the biggest gatherings of celebrities from the world of TV, film and sport, with the likes of Laura and Russell Brand, Shaparak Khorsandi, Sally Phillips and Ronni Ancona, as well as Jimmy Carr drawing in the crowds.

On the stage, Chris Evans chatted with Hollywood star Minnie Driver, and sporting heroes Paula Radcliffe, Victoria Pendleton, Steve Cram and Matty Lee reflected on their acclaimed careers.

At the brand new Author’s Stage, hosted by Costa Coffee, festival-goers got their noses stuck into books such as Giovanna Fletcher’s latest release, Walking On Sunshine, and Ben Miller’s How I Became A Dog Called Midnight. There was also a line-up of intimate readings and Q&As at The Costa Reading Room, with exclusive signed copies available for purchase at the on-site Waterstones bookstore.

By the evening, StarFest transformed into the ever-popular Club CarFest, with the likes of Gok Wan and Danny Rampling getting everyone’s groove on.

FoodFest, a favourite amongst festival foodies, featured The Kitchen Stage with Napoleon Grills where a delectable roster of chefs and bakers, such as Matt Tebbutt, Juliet Sear, Atul Kochhar, Olly Smith and Dipna Ananad took festival-goers on a discovery of flavours and cuisines across the stage.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor and hubby Rich Jones from The Feeling shared scrumptious recipes from their latest cookbook, 'Love. Food. Family: Recipes From The Kitchen Disco' and Extreme Cake Makeover star Molly Robbins walked guests through how to bake and decorate delicious creations. New for this year was The Great British Cook Out with Napoleon Grills, hosted by BBC Big Cookout’s Sam and Shauna, where visitors brushed up on their BBQ and firepit skills.

Pudsey’s Spot hosted by Children in Need, CBBC and CBeebies was the true highlight of KidsFest featuring some fabulous performances by Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales, YolanDa’s Band Jam and Andy and the Odd Socks, keeping the children endlessly entertained.

The fun didn’t stop there - the little ones also had the opportunity to develop their circus skills with The Flying Seagull Circus and get their creative juices flowing at the Artclub.

No festival would be complete without a good old-fashioned funfair. Families stepped it up a gear at AdventureFest with jaw-dropping BMX performances and getting up close and personal with exotic creatures at BugFest, as well as a range of exhilarating activities, including rock-climbing and a whizz down the zip wire. Hidden talents were uncovered at Upskill Alley, where festival-goers had a go at painting, pottery, T-shirt printing and lots more.

Guests were teleported back in time at RetroFest where acts Johnny Victory, Cats Got Rhythm, Lady And The Duke, Iron Tyger and We Are Synthetics took to the Nostalgia Stage for a series of dazzling performances. Families embraced their competitive sides with the old-school sports day hosted by the hilarious duo, Dolly and Gracie, as well as joining the Dress Up Sunday show to celebrate the iconic fashion of the Queen’s reign.

Founded by radio presenter Chris Evans, CarFest has raised over £20 million for UK children's charities since its conception 11 years ago. Charity beneficiaries include BBC Children in Need, Comic Relief, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, My Black Dog, Rainbow Trust, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust and Hampshire-based charities Naomi House & Jacksplace.

Chris Evans also announced plans for a bigger and better CarFest in 2023, bringing North and South events together to create ONE BIG CARFEST at Laverstoke Park Farm for the August Bank Holiday (25th-27th August 2023).

Limited Early Bird Tickets will be available from 8am Thursday 1st September until midnight on Sunday 4th September. Tickets for this limited offer will be frozen at 2022 prices, with full-price tickets going on sale this November.

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