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You’ve probably heard about the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional by now, but if you haven’t, 2026 is shaping up to be the best year yet to discover one of your new favourite car events. Because let’s face it: you can turn up at any old automotive event and see the latest supercars or collector-favoured classics, but only at FotU do you get to see gleaming, minty-fresh examples of the kinds of pre-2002 everyday cars that were once commonplace but have now all but vanished from the roads.
It’s a car show like no other, and it’s back at the glorious surroundings of Lincolnshire’s Grimsthorpe Castle on Saturday 25 July 2026, so whether you’re a seasoned FotU-goer or a potential first-timer, read on for five reasons you should check it out this year, then come back here to grab your tickets.
The Concours de l’Ordinaire
The centrepiece of the show, this is the Festival of the Unexceptional’s take on those big, shiny concours events you always read about online – only here, you might actually be able to own some of the classics that enter. 2026’s best in show will join previous winners such as a Skoda Favorit, Daihatsu Applause and the almighty 1989 Proton Saga 1.5 GL Black Knight. Esteemed company indeed.
Brand new displays
For 2026, FotU’s curated displays will be better than ever. They’ll include a series of vehicles from The Telegraph’s ‘Britain’s Rarest Cars’ series, the new Long Lost Families area and, perhaps most excitingly of all, a selection of exhibits from the superb and vast collections of the British Motor Museum.
Live entertainment
If you get bored of looking at cars (preposterous, we know), there’s lots more going on throughout the day to keep you entertained. Jonny Smith and Richard Porter of Smith & Sniff, one of Britain’s premier car-based* podcasts, are back for a third year running with quizzes and a live podcast, while live tunes will come from rising UK indie outfit Spilt Milk, who’ve previously opened for James Arthur.
*Your mileage may vary; topics discussed may also include ’80s soft rock bands, canal boat dwellers and embarrassing incidents involving bottles of rum and white trousers
The FotU forecourt
Ever go to a car show and wish you could take home one of the exhibits there and then? At Festival of the Unexceptional, you can, thanks to the FotU forecourt, a dedicated buying and selling area. If you’ve got an everyday classic looking for a new home, or are ready to provide one, this is the place to be, with FotU-style information sheets completing the retro used car buying experience.
The Hagerty Driver’s Club Area
If you didn’t have reason enough to join the Hagerty Driver’s Club, members will get free access to a dedicated HDC area at FotU, complete with comfy seating, free snacks and soft drinks and a dedicated bar and barista. Oh yeah, and a free-to-play Scalextric set. Need we say any more? HDC members also get 25 per cent off their Festival of the Unexceptional tickets, on top of a whole host of other benefits and exclusive year-round events.
Join the Hagerty Driver’s Club
Get 2026 Festival of the Unexceptional tickets
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