There's bad news for British enthusiasts because the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival are not happening in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing simply makes the events impossible to hold. The organizers plan to hold the gatherings again in 2021. Anyone who already bought a ticket can use it for entrance next year or get a refund.
"For a business like ours, which is all about bringing people together to enjoy the things they love, social distancing has had an unavoidable impact on our ability to operate. The Festival of Speed and Revival events will return in 2021 and, in the meantime, we are delighted to give our incredibly loyal members and dedicated followers a unique opportunity to increase their connection to Goodwood by becoming part of our new Goodwood Supporters Association initiative," the Duke of Richmond said in a statement.
The Goodwood Supporters' Association requires a one-off contribution to become a lifetime member. After that, the folks who join can get benefits like an engraved nameplate at the track or a tree planted for them in the new woodland area planned to the north-west of the circuit. Anyone with a ticket for the 2020 Goodwood Festival of Speed or Goodwood Revival can choose to transfer all or part of their refund towards a GSA membership.
There's a chance that there still might be some action to watch from Goodwood this year because the track might stage a livestream of racing there. "In addition, we are still hoping that we may be able to keep the flame alive with a 'behind closed doors' motorsport occasion later this year for motorsport fans and enthusiasts worldwide to enjoy at home and look forward to making an announcement in the coming weeks," the Duke of Richmond said.
Even before this announcement, the event's organizers delayed Festival of Speed until late summer or early autumn, rather than the original dates from July 9 to 12. At that time, the Goodwood Revival was still part of the schedule for September 11 to 13.
