News that CarFest is moving to Silverstone feels like the closing of a chapter for us villagers… one that has been both exciting and, at times, challenging.
There’s no doubt that having such a big, vibrant event on our doorstep has brought a certain energy to the community. The festival atmosphere, the music, the spectacle of cars and crowds – all of that has made our quiet corner of the village feel like the centre of the action for a few days each year. For many locals, it’s been a unique and memorable experience.
But alongside the excitement, it’s fair to acknowledge the other side of the coin. For our local businesses, CarFest has often been more of a burden than a blessing. Road closures, traffic chaos, and visitors funnelled almost entirely into the event site have meant that the high street and small independents haven’t always seen the benefits you’d expect from thousands of people descending on the area. In fact, for some, trade has dropped during the festival rather than risen.
That’s why I think Silverstone is the right home for CarFest’s future. Silverstone is built for this sort of event – it has the infrastructure, the space, and the facilities to welcome huge crowds without turning the surrounding villages upside down. And for CarFest itself, it’s a move that could help the festival grow and thrive in a way that simply wasn’t possible here.
So while I’ll look back on the CarFest years with fondness – the music echoing across the fields, the traffic jams that tested our patience, the sense of being part of something big – I think it’s a positive step for everyone. Our businesses can breathe again, our roads can stay open, and CarFest can continue to be the brilliant event it’s meant to be, in a place that’s purpose-built to host it.
Sometimes change really is the best of both worlds.
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