There are car shows… and then there’s ShedFest. The grassroots automotive celebration founded by AutoAlex returned in 2025, and this year it dialled things up to eleven – with a new venue, a new format, and a bigger crowd than ever before. Now hosted at the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit, ShedFest has grown from a cult YouTube fan event into one of the UK’s most-loved petrolhead pilgrimages.
And this year, I finally made the trip.
I’ve seen plenty about ShedFest online – usually pictures of clapped-out, dodgy-looking motors with hilarious MOT histories parked next to high-mileage heroes, dodgy diesel dailies, and project cars that have no right to still be running. Last year’s event was a sell-out hit but suffered from traffic issues due to sheer demand. Thankfully, that’s been sorted for 2025.
With the expert support of Goodwood’s seasoned events team (the same people behind Revival and Festival of Speed), this year’s logistics were slick. Access to the circuit was smooth, well signposted, and run by marshals who actually looked like they were enjoying themselves – which makes a nice change from other events we’ve been to!
Two Cars, One Big Weekend
We’re not ones to hit every car show on the calendar – but with a newly acquired BMW i8 sitting alongside our ever-faithful Mini Clubman JCW, I thought: why not take both? A bit excessive, perhaps, but you only live once.
Since it’s a decent drive from Cardiff (around 150 miles each way), we turned it into a weekend escape, staying at The Goodwood Hotel. If you’re thinking about visiting, I’ve reviewed the hotel stay here:
The Goodwood Hotel Reviewed – Is It Worth Staying on the Estate?
Waking up just minutes from the circuit was ideal. After breakfast, we rolled straight down the road to the show – and I have to say, the whole setup was impressive. Entry was seamless. Marshals guided us right onto the Goodwood circuit itself, where show cars – £30 entry including driver – got to park up on track. That alone made it feel special.
YouTubers, Merch and Mayhem
If you’re into the UK car scene, then ShedFest is like Comic-Con for YouTube fans. The list of creators in attendance read like a who’s who of motoring content: AutoAlex, Will, Edwin, and Ethan, Tavarish, Mike, Jack, Rory, Tom Lenthall, Gareth, Taylor, and Ben from DadCars.
There were meet-and-greets, endless photo ops, and signed merch galore. It was brilliant to see so many fans – young and old – buzzing about meeting their favourite creators in the flesh. It’s one thing watching a shed build come to life on YouTube… it’s another seeing it, and the people behind it, up close.
ShedFest also had two main stages running all day. From dodgems and car-football antics to a live band called Giant Plating, there was plenty happening. That said, the main stage audio struggled in places – wind noise and crowd size meant if you weren’t right up front, you couldn’t always catch what was being said. Hopefully something they’ll improve next year.
A Feast for Petrolheads (And Their Kids)
Hungry? You were spoilt for choice – Greek wraps, Indian street food, dirty fries, steak burgers… and of course, an ice cream van. The only snag was the queue time. At peak hours, we waited close to 40 minutes from start to finish for food. But in fairness, it was all decent stuff and worth the wait.
A massive shoutout has to go to Ben from DadCars, who created a proper family-friendly zone. From the chalk van kids could scribble on to the quiet area for feeding and chilling out, it made a real difference for those of us attending with little ones. As it was my son’s very first car show, I couldn’t resist picking up a few bits for his bedroom too – start them young, right?
The Cars: Tatty, Terrific and Totally Brilliant
ShedFest is unapologetically about the underdogs. Yes, there were some dream machines on display (especially in Tom Lenthall’s section), but this show is all about personality over polish.
There were dedicated areas for JDM builds, German heroes, Mazdas, classics, and a wildcard category for anything interesting – which is where both of our cars ended up. Although our section was slightly out of the way, it meant we had more time to chat to fellow owners. The crowd was genuinely one of the highlights – enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, friendly. We left with a few new Instagram connections and plenty of stories.
The real stars of the show? The battered diesels with DIY mods, the 300,000-mile estates still going strong, and the half-scrapped saloons that somehow still passed an MOT. These are the cars with soul – and ShedFest gives them a proper moment in the spotlight.
Final Verdict
So, was it worth it? Absolutely. ShedFest 2025 was everything a grassroots car event should be: fun, chaotic in the right ways, and packed with passion. It had its busy moments (lunch queues and a few sound issues), but overall it was a brilliantly put-together day.
Would we go again? Yes, 100%. Though next time… maybe we’ll just take one car.
