The Donington Historic Festival 2026 kicks off the Motor Racing Legends season with a packed schedule of motor sport from across the eras, paying tribute to several special anniversaries. The event is on May 1-3, 2026.
Eighteen races are due to take place over the three days, plus several exciting demonstrations. The event celebrates 75 years of the Jaguar C-type‘s first Le Mans 24 Hours victory, with Rudi Friedrichs bringing his example along to compete in the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy. You can also expect to see a large contingent of BMW M3 E30s on track in the Historic Touring Car Challenge, on the model’s 40 anniversary. One of these will be Ashley Muldoon’s Mobil 1-liveried car, a perfect replica of the machine Frank Sytner drove to the British Touring Car Championship title in 1988. There’ll be a display of road-going M3s on the infield as well.
The Donington Historic Festival 2026 will also celebrate 20 years of the GT3 category. One of the most memorable GT3 cars built has already confirmed its attendance: the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 pictured below, chassis no. 004/034, was built by Prodrive for the factory Nürburgring 24 Hours team. It subsequently appeared at the 2013 Spa 24 Hours before claiming GTD pole at the 2015 Daytona 24 Hours, ultimately finishing second in class in that season’s IMSA campaign. Jonathan Mitchell will drive the car, which retains The Racers Group’s distinctive IMSA-era livery.
The Donington Historic Festival 2026 programme opens on Friday May 1 for largely qualifying action, with HMRN Pre-63 GT machinery, followed by a combined optional session for the HGPCA and FJHRA. GT3 Legends take to the circuit for their first qualifying session before the FJHRA Silverline Championship grids form for front-engine cars. The evocatively titled Mad Jack race for Pre-War Sports Cars follows, after which the Silverline Championship returns for its rear-engine contenders.
A lunch break provides space for selected club parades and a complimentary GT3 Legends pitwalk, while Supercar Driver members stage exclusive hypercar parade laps. Afternoon action resumes with the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup, before further Silverline Championship races for front- and rear-engine cars respectively. The Generations Trophy and the Historic Touring Car Challenge add further variety, ahead of HMRN Pre-63 GT Race 1 for owners only, and a second GT3 Legends qualifying session, also reserved for owners.
Proceedings at the Donington Historic Festival 2026 continue on Saturday with the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy, followed by the ever-entertaining Mad Jack race for Pre-War Sports Cars. Spectators are then invited onto the grid for a complimentary GT3 Legends public grid walk before the first GT3 Legends race of the weekend. The Generations Trophy adds further variety ahead of the lunch interval, which features selected club parades and a free GT3 Legends pitwalk.
Supercar Driver members then take to the circuit for exclusive Porsche parade laps, before racing resumes with HMRN Pre-63 GT Race 2. A Formula 1 demonstration provides a change of pace, after which the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association and the Historic Touring Car Challenge return the focus to competition. The day concludes with the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup.
The action at the Donington Historic Festival 2026 opens on Sunday with the HRDC Gerry Marshall Trophy Series, followed by the Mad Jack race for Pre-War Sports Cars. The HRDC Dunlop Allstars take to the circuit next, before the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association returns with its evocative single-seater field. Touring car fans are then treated to the HRDC Top Hat Pre-66 Touring Cars, run in association with MRL, ahead of the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy.
A lunch break features a parade for clubs and a complimentary GT3 Legends pitwalk, after which the Gerry Marshall Trophy Series resumes. A Formula 1 demonstration provides a high-decibel interlude prior to GT3 Legends Race 2. The Top Hat Pre-66 Touring Cars return for a second outing, followed by the Historic Touring Car Challenge, with the day concluding in style as the HRDC Dunlop Allstars bring proceedings to a close.
More details on the Donington Historic Festival 2026 can be found here.
