Goodwood authority on global ‘mega‑events’

How it all Began…

Our sporting passions all stem from the Dukes of Richmond and their love of sport; horse racing, motor sport, golf, flying, and cricket were all introduced by enthusiastic family members.

The present Earl of March brought both Festival of Speed and Revival to Goodwood but the story began in the summer of 1936 when Freddie March, the 9th Duke of Richmond, hosted a private hill climb for the Lancia Car Club in the grounds of Goodwood House. In 1993, his grandson, Lord March, hosted his own hill climb and the Festival of Speed was born. With road-and track racing fans coming from all over the country, the weekend sees an array of Formula 1, supercars, bikes and heritage cars all taking on the 1.16 mile hill climb. 

The Revival opened on 18 September 1998, when the Earl of March drove around the circuit in a Bristol 400, the very same car in which Freddie March had opened the track 50 years before. It’s now the world’s most celebrated historic motor racing event, with race fans coming from all over the country to soak up the unique atmosphere in period costume.

As well as hosting some of the largest events in the British sporting and social calendar, including the Qatar Goodwood horseracing festival, we also have Members’ Meeting, 14 further days of horse racing, two golf courses, The Goodwood Hotel, The Kennels, Farmer, Butcher, Chef and a luxury country retreat; Hound Lodge. In total, around 1,000,000 people come to Goodwood every year and many stay with us and enjoy our hospitality at the Goodwood Hotel or at Hound Lodge.  

What lies ahead?

Goodwood plans to share its expertise in creating authentic, unique events and continue to be pioneers in the event and hospitality industry.