As dog owners, it’s easy to fall into the habit of only planning days out where our dogs can come too. After all, they’re part of the family.
But every now and then, it’s worth leaving them at home with someone you trust.
On Saturday, we headed to Goodwood Festival of Speed and, honestly, we had such a good day! Dog Dad is a huge car enthusiast (it’s basically his dream day out), and while I enjoy cars, I was just looking forward to spending the day taking pictures, soaking up the atmosphere and seeing what all the fuss was about.
Would I have loved to have had the dogs there? Maybe. Would they have enjoyed it? Absolutely not.
The crowds were insane, the cars were incredibly loud, temperatures reached 30°C and they would have hated every second of it. Walking around all day made it very obvious why the event isn’t dog friendly. It simply wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for most dogs.
Sometimes, it’s okay to have a day that’s just for you.
What is Goodwood Festival of Speed?
Held every July in the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex, Goodwood Festival of Speed is one of the world’s biggest celebrations of motorsport. It’s far more than just a car show.
Across the estate you’ll find the famous hill climb, Formula 1 teams, rally cars, manufacturers unveiling new models, supercars, classic cars, shopping, live interviews with motorsport legends, entertainment and some of the best event food you’ll find anywhere.
Whether you’re a lifelong petrolhead or simply appreciate impressive engineering, there’s enough to keep you entertained for an entire day… or even a whole weekend.
How to get to Goodwood Festival of Speed?
We drove and you’ll be pleased to know that parking is incredibly well organised. Despite the sheer number of people attending, arriving was straightforward and leaving at the end of the day was far easier than we expected… Albeit we met a small amount of traffic coming in and out of Chichester, but it’s to be expected.
If you’d rather not drive, it’s also easy to reach by public transport. Trains run into Chichester from destinations across the country, including direct services from London, and Goodwood operates shuttle buses between Chichester Station and the event throughout the day.
What did we get up to?
Watching Lando Norris’ Balcony Moment
One of the biggest moments of the day was watching Lando Norris appear on the infamous Goodwood House balcony. He walked in to Tinie Tempah’s Labyrinth in true style and once he had reached the balcony, he was joined by Sir Jackie Stewart and the Duke of Richmond, with Karun Chandhok interviewing them in front of a huge crowd.
It was great to see so many fans cheering him on and a real reminder of just how much Formula 1 has grown in popularity over the past few years. The atmosphere was insane, with everyone stopping to catch a glimpse of one of Britain’s biggest motorsport stars.
Visiting the Formula 1 paddocks
Speaking of F1, the Formula 1 paddocks are a must-see, giving you the chance to get surprisingly close to the teams and cars. Even if you’re only a casual F1 fan, it’s fascinating to see everything going on behind the scenes and admire the engineering up close.
Watching the famous Hill Climb
The hill climb is the heart of Festival of Speed, so we spent a good couple of hours finding different viewpoints and watching the cars tackle the course.
I took my Sony A1 paired with a 70-200mm lens, which isn’t a setup I often get to bring when the dogs are with me as it’s pretty hefty to carry around all day. I had fun experimenting with a few different techniques and I especially enjoyed shooting the drifting. It was one of my favourite parts of the day. If you’re wondering, I am a professional Interior Photographer, so it’s fun to mix it up a bit.
Exploring the Manufacturer Displays
The manufacturer displays are much more than rows of new cars. Many brands create immersive stands with interactive experiences, cafés and entertainment. My favourites were MINI, with its adventure-inspired camping display (that I was low key jealous of), Porsche, where we stopped for a coffee while a live DJ set the vibe and BYD, who were giving away free popcorn.
Finding a robot dog
One of the more unexpected highlights was meeting a robot dog. It was wandering around interacting with visitors and despite being at an event where real dogs aren’t allowed, it definitely became one of my favourite discoveries of the day.
I’ve seen robot dogs before and always find them absolutely fascinating. If only my three pugs were that easy to train!
Performance Parking
Performance Parking is well worth a wander. It’s a real mix, from multi-million-pound machines to people’s pride and joy. Matt in particular loved looking around at the huge variety on display.
Some of the owners stay with their cars too, chatting to visitors and even letting people sit inside for photos, which gives the area a really friendly atmosphere.
Eating and drinking at Festival of Speed
One thing that consistently impresses me about Goodwood events is the quality of the food. We found the same when we attended Goodwoof. Somehow, they always seem to attract brilliant traders. Whether that’s because they carefully select every business or because the higher pitch fees attract quality vendors, I don’t know, but the difference is noticeable.
At Festival of Speed, some of the manufacturers even have their own cafés, including Porsche and Lamborghini. Or if you’re feeling extra bougie, you can pre-order a champagne picnic.
Matt and I kept things simple this year, sharing a burger and a pizza. Not the most adventurous choices, I know, but they were both delicious. In previous years, we’ve tried a few of the other options, including the Lamborghini Café, where I treated myself to what was probably the most expensive bolognese I’ve ever eaten (it was worth it, though). Normally I’d also be tempted by a glass of fizz, especially with the Laurent Perrier stand on site, but this weekend it was simply too hot. Soft drinks were definitely the order of the day.
Do you need a whole weekend at Goodwood FOS?
Having visited Festival of Speed a few times now, I’d say the answer really depends on the type of day you’re after.
It’s certainly not the cheapest day out, so you can absolutely have an incredible experience in a single day. The event runs from 7am until 7pm, so I’d recommend arriving early and making the most of every hour. That said, even after a full day, we still didn’t manage to see everything. We walked up to the rally stage too late to catch any of the action, only stumbled across the Monster Energy area towards the end of the afternoon, and barely had time to explore the shopping village.
If you’re happy prioritising the highlights, one day is plenty. But if you’d rather take a slower pace, spend longer watching the motorsport, properly explore every area and browse the shopping without constantly checking the time, I’d recommend at least two days. I can completely understand why so many people make a whole weekend of it.
Things to know before you go
It can get hot
When we visited, temperatures reached around 30°C. Obviously it’ll vary from year to year, but I will say that unless you buy grandstand tickets, there really isn’t all that much shade. So make sure you cover up, bring suncream and a hat.
Bring a refillable water bottle
Walking around in the heat, I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been that thirsty. To Goodwood’s credit, there were water refill stations throughout the site, which were really appreciated. Personally, I would have liked to see a few more given the extreme temperatures, but taking a reusable water bottle is definitely worthwhile.
It’s Dusty
The whole site was incredibly dusty. It must have been a nightmare for brands to keep their cars sparkling. By the time we were finished, my shoes, legs and feet were filthy. I honestly looked like I’d spent the day walking through a desert rather than a motorsport event. I would suggest dark clothing and don’t wear your favourite outfit unless you’re prepared for it to get dirty.
Wear comfortable shoes
Goodwood is huge. I can’t even imagine how far we walked, but it had to be a good 20,000 odd steps… and I ended up with a blister by the time we got home. Comfortable footwear is definitely more important than fashionable footwear in my opinion!
Is Goodwood Festival of Speed Dog Friendly?
No, dogs are not allowed at Goodwood Festival of Speed, and after spending the day there, I completely understand why. This isn’t one of those events where I found myself wishing the rules were different.
The crowds were immense from the moment we arrived until we left. Cars are constantly accelerating up the hill climb, engines are revving throughout the site, helicopters fly overhead, demonstrations are taking place, and there’s an almost constant background noise that never really stops.
Then there’s the weather. At 30°C, I struggled to stay hydrated all day, despite drinking countless soft drinks. Add in the amount of walking and limited shade and it simply wouldn’t have been enjoyable for my dogs.
Is it worth leaving your dog home for?
Without a doubt. Whether you’re a dedicated motorsport fan, a passionate photographer or you’re looking for a summer day out with a good vibe, Festival of Speed is well worth a visit.
The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is genuinely excellent, the displays are world-class and there are countless things to discover throughout the estate.
This reminded me that although I absolutely love finding dog friendly places to share on Dog Owners Guide, we don’t have to limit ourselves to only doing dog friendly things. Sometimes, leaving the dogs at home means saying yes to experiences we’d otherwise miss. For us, Goodwood Festival of Speed was absolutely one of those experiences.
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