The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is an annual motorsport event first held in 2014 using a shortened [1.6 km (0.87 mi)] version of the former Australian Grand Prix (held in Adelaide from 1985 to 1995) and Adelaide 500 race track within Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, in the south-eastern parklands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. The event has attracted the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Damon Hill, Guenther Steiner, Liam Lawson, David Croft, Ivan Capelli, Stefan Johansson, Pierluigi Martini, David Brabham, Craig Lowndes, Hayden Paddon and more, with categories at the event including Formula 1, V8 Supercars, Heritage Touring Cars and more, taking to the track in demonstration runs.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival was created by the Sporting Car Club of SA with Tim Possingham engaged to deliver the event and was run by the club from 2014 until 2018.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is held the week before the Australian Grand Prix. Using the section of the track within Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, which includes the Pit Straight and Senna Chicane, a section of Wakefield Road was used to create a 1.6km circuit. The surrounding parklands contains the pit paddock area, vehicle displays, catering and VIP areas operated by car brands including Ferrari, Audi, BMW, Aston Martin and Porsche.
The first event in 2014 attracted a small crowd of 1800 people, growing to in excess of 50,000 in 2024.
The event did not run from 2019 to 2021 due to state government funding cuts. At this time the club sold the event to Tim Possingham, an entrepreneur and motorsport competitor of some 40 years. In the run up to the 2022 South Australian state election, opposition leader Peter Malinauskas announced that the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and the Adelaide 500 would be revived if he was elected as state premier.
After winning the 2022 state election, Malinauskas announced the Adelaide Motorsport Festival would return with the 2023 edition running on March 25 and 26 and subsequently the 2024 event ran on March 16 and 17. The 2025 event was held on the weekend of March 8 and 9 as the event continues to run the week before the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne each year, with the 2026 event slated for the weekend of February 28 and March 1.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival consists of demonstration track events and displays of modern, collectable, historic and vintage cars in Victoria Park along with the Gouger Street Party.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival kicks off with the annual Gouger Street Party on the Friday night of the event. The free community event begins with the Peak Hour of Power â a high-powered parade of exotic, wild and rare vehicles that runs from Victoria Park through the city to Gouger Street to give the green flag to a massive weekend of motorsport. Featuring more than 20 of the hero-cars of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival the Peak Hour of Power literally stops traffic for this multi-million dollar spectacle. Partygoers mingle among the cars and stars, with a DJ, driver appearances and more creating a fun and festive atmosphere.
On the Saturday and Sunday, the Victoria Park Sprint takes place at Victoria Park. Multiple categories of vehicles take part in the demonstration runs, ranging from classic Formula 1 cars, V8 Supercars, touring cars, sportscars, rally cars, motorbikes, electric cars and more. Each category is on track for 10 minutes, with cars released at 30-second intervals in a super sprint format. There are also multiple demonstrations over the course of the event, such as at the 2018 event where drag races took place between three different cars, each racing against a Red Bull Air Race aeroplane.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival combines high-octane action on-track with a laid back picnic races atmosphere off-track. There are hundreds of cars on displays from various manufacturers, car clubs and more. Fans can get up close to the cars and roam the paddock area, getting up close to classic Formula 1 cars, touring cars and more. Display areas include the like of the E-Motion Zone, featuring the latest in motoring and motorsport electric technology.
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival's Grand Marquee is the place to meet the stars of the event, see and hear about the latest motoring products and technology with talks from leading industry figures, and so much more. Located in the heart of the precinct in Victoria Park, access into the Grand Marquee is included with an Adelaide Motorsport Festival ticket.
The corporate villas at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival feature premium trackside seating, gourmet catering, and more bar facilities, from car dealers and manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Zagame Automotive and more.
Star drivers who have attended the Adelaide Motorsport Festival include:
A number of Australian touring car and V8 Supercars drivers have taken part in the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, including:
Formula 1 cars and other open wheelers, CanAm and Le Mans cars, World Rally Championship cars and various types of Australian touring cars have appeared at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. They include:
Adelaide Motorsport Festival gained international attention in 2017 with its first promotional film. The following films have been produced:
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival saw an increase in attendance since its debut in 2014. The 2024 event saw a growth of over 42 percent from the previous year with 40,022 in attendance at the event. Highlights of the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival can be viewed here.