Those who like cars, will love the 2026 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional. Thousands of memory evoking cars will return to the lawns of Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire once again on Saturday 25th July along with the best line-up of entertainment seen since the show was launched 12 years ago.

In that time the event has evolved, becoming bigger and better as its reputation has spread around the world. And while the star of the show remains the 50 cars chosen to be judged as part of the Concours de l’Ordinaire, the event also presents thousands more unexceptional cars, and an unrivalled array of entertainment, making this a genuinely action-packed day out for those who love forgotten automotive gems.

The 2026 Festival of the Unexceptional will have a huge range of events and activities for adults, children and families to enjoy, including chaotic fun and live gameshows from Sniff & Smith on the main stage, a great choice of food and drink, trade stands, and a selection of special guests on stage including indie band Spilt Milk.

And that’s not all as national newspaper The Telegraph will host a very special area featuring some wonderfully rare family cars as part of their UK's Rarest car display. Here showgoers can enjoy even more exceptionally ordinary cars, once so common on our streets but have now all but disappeared. Cars include a striking Fiat Strada 5-Door, a capacious Nissan Prairie and a remarkably ordinary Alfa Romeo Arna This specially curated selection features cars on the verge of extinction, giving a rare opportunity to see them once more, and to learn all about what makes them so special to their owners.

If looking at the amazing cars on display puts showgoers in the mood to take part themselves, a visit to the FOTU Forecourt is a must. This area gives fans of base model brilliance the opportunity to browse a selection of unexceptionally wonderful cars for sale. Each car will display a special FOTU Forecourt card showing details about the car alongside the kinds of quirks and stories that define the Festival of the Unexceptional spirit.

Want more? The team from the British Motor Museum will bring some super-rare FOTU-era classics to delight lovers of low-spec. Treats on display include the very first Austin Maestro off the production line, and the Austin LC10 Maestro prototype that inspired it. Loitering in the Hagerty Drivers Club area will be a pre-production Austin Mini Metro - one of 300 pre-production models built in May 1980 and the centrepiece of Austin Rover’s stand at the 1980 Motor Show.

And finally, Hagerty has announced some of the rarities chosen to be a part of the Concours de l’Ordinaire with a range of seldom seen stunners including a 2000 Kia Clarus Estate, a 1973 Mazda 1300 Estate, a 1992 Toyota Previa and a 1996 Seat Ibiza 1.9D. FOTU 2026 will truly have something for everyone.

“Festival of the Unexceptional is no longer just a show ” says Mark Roper, Managing Director of Hagerty UK. “Now Unexceptional cars represent a new era of classic motoring, one that appeals to a younger driver with cars steeped in nostalgia and memories. What started as a few cars in a small field 12 year ago is now an event known around the world, with many online social groups and smaller events taking place because of it. Join us at Grimsthorpe Castle to witness a new generation of classic car and be prepared to see models you forgot even existed…there is nothing else like it. ”

Gates will again open at 7.30am allowing owners and fans of unexceptional classic vehicles to make the most of a day packed with events that will continue right up to 5pm.

More details: www.hagerty.co.uk/official-events