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It’s time to rev up for CarFest presented by bp pulse The UK’s largest family-fundraising festival returns to Hampshire for August Bank Holiday Weekend 2025

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Read Time: 4 mins

Get ready for the return of CarFest presented by bp pulse, the UK’s largest family-fundraising festival! This unique fusion of six distinctive yet iconic festivals, coming together for one extraordinary weekend, is a must for families, car enthusiasts, foodies and wellbeing followers alike.

Offering visitors so much more than just cars, you can expect a weekend packed with not just horsepower, but endless entertainment, guaranteeing something for every member of the family, young or old! Whether you want exciting challenges, insightful chats with the stars, celebrity masterclasses or interactive workshops, there’s plenty for you to do across the 2,500 acres of picturesque English countryside.

And what would CarFest be without a star-studded line-up? Leading the charge in the first wave of music acts to be announced is the rock-tastic Travis with folk-rock musician Tom Walker and the smooth blues of Seasick Steve. Then ska and pop legends Madness with the legendary hit-makers Squeeze and the iconic Lightning Seeds. Also joining them is CarFest’s biggest party starter and former racing driver Rick Parfitt Jnr. And this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for more exciting announcements, including the return of some beloved CarFest favourites and a host of other special guests.

Virgin Radio presenter Chris Evans, the visionary behind CarFest, is ready to welcome everyone to a spectacular 23rd edition of the festival in August 2025. Promising an even bigger celebration than before, CarFest 2025 is about far more than just cars, bringing back its beloved seven festivals in one epic location: FoodFest, KidsFest, RetroFest, SpaFest, StarFest, and of course, CarFest! 

 Whether you're a foodie seeking kitchen inspiration, a car lover searching for a high-speed thrill, or just eager to soak up wisdom from celebrities and wellness experts, CarFest 2025 caters to every passion. Every corner offers endless fun, with incredible car displays at CarFest, visiting Pudsey’s Spot at KidsFest, CarFest 2025 caters to every passion.

And in these financially challenging times, CarFest offers great value for money with family tickets (2 Adults and 2 Children) being frozen at 2024 prices and children’s tickets starting from just £21 for a fun packed weekend.

Since its inception in 2012, CarFest has been dedicated to supporting UK children’s charities, donating 10% of tickets and all profits from the festival to its charity partners. In 2024, CarFest raised an impressive £1.26 million. In 2025, CarFest will be supporting BBC Children in Need, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Epilepsy, and the local Hampshire hospice Naomi House & Jacksplace.

Tickets will be on sale from 8am on Thursday 21st November at www.carfest.org

Ends

Editors notes

About CarFest

CarFest is the brainchild of radio presenter Chris Evans. Featuring an incredible combination of cars, food, live music and family entertainment, the inaugural weekend event was staged at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire in August 2012.

Fundraising details: All profits from CarFest, including 10% of the price of each ticket, will be donated to UK children’s charities. 

●      BBC Children in Need (a charity registered in England and Wales under number 802052 and in Scotland under number SC039557) will receive 50% of the total funds raised. 

●      The following six charities will each receive 7% of the total funds raised: 

○      Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust (Registered Charity No.1096491 in England & Wales and SCO44013 in Scotland)

○      Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity (Registered Charity No. 1070532) 

○      Starlight Children’s Foundation (Registered Charity No.1062559 in England & Wales and SC039757 in Scotland)

○      Teenage Cancer Trust (Registered Charity No.1062559 in England & Wales and SC039757) 

○      Young Epilepsy (Registered Charity No. Charity 311877 in England & Wales). 

●      Local Hampshire based hospice, Naomi's House & Jacksplace (Registered Charity No.1002832), will receive 2% of funds. 

●      The remaining 13% will be donated to a number of other charities that will be confirmed over the coming months, including charities local to CarFest event sites. 

2024 HEADLINE PARTNER: bp pulse

bp pulse is bp’s electric vehicle (EV) charging business. It is one of the leading rapid and ultra-fast public EV charging networks in the UK and operates one of the largest number of sites with ultra-fast charging in Germany.

Focused on fast, reliable charging, bp pulse is rolling out charge points to consumers wherever they need them: destination, on-the-go and bp forecourts.

EV charging is one of the key growth engines driving bp's transformation to an integrated energy company. The company aims to grow its network of public EV charging points by 2030 to over 100,000 worldwide.

bp’s here for your travel needs – mostly with petrol and diesel – but bp pulse already has over 3000 rapid and ultra-fast charging points

2024 FEATURE PARTNERS

CarFest is supported by a number of key partners:

●      Cuisinart is the Official Food Experiences Partner

●      Timothy Taylor is the Official Beer Partner and hosts the BarFest Arms at the festival

SUPPORTED BY:

●      Aspall is the Official Cider Partner

●      Coca Cola is the Official Soft Drinks Partner

●      Domaine Des Jeanne is the Official Wine Partner

●      Staropramen is the Official Lager Partner

●      Village Hotels is the Official Hotel Partner

●      Virgin Radio UK is the Official Media Partner

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CarFest 2025 - Rick Parfitt Jnr.jpg

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