Anyone been to a carfest weekend

[Vince70]

I've been offered a ticket to the Carfest South weekend at the end of the month and wondered if anyone has been to one before and is it worth the money..

 

I've also been told it's camping from Friday evening till Monday morning so I've bought myself a pop up tent for the occasion..

 

Also it means leaving the car parked up in a field for a few days I guess so is the parking safe as I'm scared to park my lovely new car anywhere as its an expensive motor as it cost me more than my usual car at £795 lol..

[Pillock]

It's organised by Chris Evans and attended mostly by Radio 2 listeners so I don't think anyone's going to get high on crack and set fire to your motor, and then shit in your tent. 

[warren t claim]

Chris Evans is the spiritual successor to Noel Edmunds. Both are top of the range Titanium X twats.

[Angry Sheep]

I went to the northern one the first year it was on. Really enjoyed it - but we were lucky with the weather and could comfortably sit watching the music until we got kicked out.

 

We could only get day tickets but found a pub campsite nearby which worked out well. It was kind of an unofficial overflow with everyone else camping there for Carfest.

[NorthernMonkey]

We've been to the north one for the past few years....car parking is as safe as houses. its predominantly families and as such, the car park resembles Waitrose with an above average concentration of leased Audis and XC90s.

The music and atmosphere is top notch. Apart from the air crash on Saturday afternoon in which the pilot tragically lost his life and which was very upsetting to witness, this year was as excellent as ever with sunshine most of the weekend for a change.

I believe the south one revolves around a hill climb as opposed to the north one which is based on the track at Oulton park circuit. Incidentally, the music always seems to be a slightly better line up in the south...we're going to head down there for next years, I think.

Food prices can be a bit steep...budget around £10 per head for food on the site such as burger and chips, pizzas etc.

Drink prices however are very high....minimum of £5 per pint or £4 odd for a 330ml bottle of lager. Not sure about the south event but at the north one, you aren't allowed to take your own drinks into the main festival site from the camp sites...having said that, the security didn't seem quite as keen in enforcement this year so it was relatively straight forward to smuggle a few cans and a wine box in the bottom of the bag and we just walked through unchallenged.

[purplebargeken]

 

 

It's organised by Chris Evans and attended mostly by Radio 2 listeners so I don't think anyone's going to get high on crack and set fire to your motor, and then shit in your tent.

Unless of course you do it yourself. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I went to the North one on the Sunday in 2013 and thought it was shit.very little car content, a few old racers doing half a lap was about it. The music was mostly crap too , a Led Zepplin tribute band and a bunch of crusty Chumba Wumba types banging drums and shouting. We left at about 5pm, can't remember who the headliners were,but weren't worth waiting in the rain for.

Very Radio 2, Kath Kidston ,Waitrose and has been said Volvo XC90 drivers.

The best bit was the trade stands, the food and beer were normal Agricultural show/ country fair standard , nothing special ,despite Ginger bollocks implying it's a foodies festival.

 

It's probably just that I'm a miserable bastard, but I'd rather go to a village fete,at least they don't pretend to have anything to do with cars.

[NorthernMonkey]

It was a bit patchy in the earlier years but as its gained popularity, it has got a lot better. Among the cars this year were a few ex-F1s giving it the beans along with half a dozen current BTCC cars and plenty of other stuff. Music this year included Will Young, Boomtown Rats (who admittedly were crap), Level 42, Billy Ocean, Seasick Steve and many others. Not everyone's cup of tea but all pretty decent artists in their own right. I believe Take That are headlining in the South too...not sure if that's a pro or a con actually....the eye opener last year for me at least was Jools Holland . I've never really paid much attention to him in the past but live, he was absolutely fantastic. He too is at the South one this year so if you get the chance, give him a try.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Honestly it sounds like a fucking nightmare full of smug wankers getting a mini stiffy if they've seen some overpriced, over polished tin and a has been band.

 

 

Saying that I'm a miserable bastard too

[fairkens]

Seems to be attended by non car people if my work is anything to go by, you'll have to decide by yourself whether that's a bad thing.

[warren t claim]

Would it be bad taste to stand in front of the stage in full view of Chris Evans and give it the full Man United aeroplane wings?

[2MB]

No experience of this particular event but there is something deeply unsettling about festivals attended by middle class waitrose types.

[Paul Dupart]

I went to the South event last year and the North event last week. Yes, as said, a bit 'middle class' Waitrose (although as a humble tradesman who mainly shops at Aldi I don't consider myself in that group). We B&B'd at a nearby pub.

Enjoyed it and would go again. Not cheap to get in or eat and drink when you are in there, but this filters out all the Jeremy Kyle types.

Evans just fronts it, Brand Events organise it and run it. I'm not an Evans fan (I listen to Shaun Keaveny on 6 Music) but when the pilot was unfortunate killed, he came on the stage and was genuinely in bits. He went up a bit in my estimations after that. Geldof was really crap, Level 42 were brilliant.

Only been to two, but thought there were more motors and club stands (polished chod) at the south event.

 

Just my two pen' worth!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

No experience of this particular event but there is something deeply unsettling about festivals attended by middle class waitrose types.

Definitely ,Mrs N is going to The Rewind Festival at the end of the month. Lots of middle aged Middle England women in a field in Henley On Thames listening to Nik Kershaw and ABC whilst quaffing Prosecco and eating sun dried rocket dips.

[John F]

There's a line dancing performance in the programme.

 

AVOID.

 

.

[Pete-M]

I went to the first Carfest North.

 

Best car show I've ever been to, but not ideal if you're expecting to see loads of communists next to rows of Marinas and the likes. Carfest doesn't do the cheap stuff. It's mainly actual genuine cream of the crop standard setting exotica rather than old Datsuns and Allegros.

 

Food isn't cheap, but it's all for a good cause.

[Justin Case]

Definitely ,Mrs N is going to The Rewind Festival at the end of the month. Lots of middle aged Middle England women in a field in Henley On Thames listening to Nik Kershaw and ABC whilst quaffing Prosecco and eating sun dried rocket dips.

The Rewind Festival sounds remarkably like my vision of Hell.

[warren t claim]

There's a line dancing performance in the programme.

 

AVOID.

 

.

I quite enjoy a dance after a few lines.

[Lacquer Peel]

I went to the first Carfest North.

 

Best car show I've ever been to, but not ideal if you're expecting to see loads of communists next to rows of Marinas and the likes. Carfest doesn't do the cheap stuff. It's mainly actual genuine cream of the crop standard setting exotica rather than old Datsuns and Allegros.

 

Get in Pistonheads.

[warren t claim]

IMHO a Datsun 240Z is a genuine classic. Especially a Samurai.

[Pete-M]

Yup. 240Z is one of the few exceptions!

[Cavcraft]

Reading through the lines, and to see LP's words, it sounds like a real-life version of Piston Heads. Don't think I could stand that tbh. 

[barefoot]

Can I just say that pop up tents are just a little bit shit.

I've had one for a few years to store my gear in when we are out T2ing and it definately doesn't leak.

The one occasion I have slept in it, at Shitefest, I clambered in at midnight thirty, absolutely wankered and fell straight to sleep. When I woke up the next morning at sevenish, the tent was dripping with condensation and I had to get out immediately.

[Mr Lobster]

Its very much aimed at very middle class, not short of a few quid, Radio 2 listeners.

 

Somewhere I have the trade pack they issue which makes a big deal of the fact that most visitors are A/B1 or whatever and that average household income of the visitors is £79k and that its very much a festival for people who don't want to go to a festival and get muddy etc. The cars are not the main attraction for the majority of visitors though.

 

That said, I'd still like to go just to see whats what sorta thing.

[Vince70]

I've got to admit I'm more inclined to an Allegro than a Bugatti if the place had a Princess or An Ambassdor or SD1 2000 in Povo spec in beige then I i would of been over the moon going...

Anyone know of any hidden compartments on a BMW compact that I can hide a booze stash lol

 

Normally I hate camping and end up putting the seats down and kipping in the motor and the last couple of times at Santapod I've done just that and the pop up tent has just stayed in the motor.

 

I had my old Audi Cabriolet last time I went to the pod and found that you could fit a load of drinks in the area where the roof folded down then I put the roof back up over the top and it works a treat when it comes to hiding drink.

[r.welfare]

The South one is at the organic farm owned by Jody Scheckter. Despite being about 10 miles from here I've not yet been. My wife was keen to get tickets which rather reinforces some of the earlier comments really.

[I_am_Diesel]

I think they call it carfest because nobody would want to go to an event called twatfest. Sounds like my idea of hell but I am a cantankerous old git who hates crowds.