Photographing the Festival of Speed
Goodwood
7 July 2025
The PistonClick team has been spectating and photographing the Festival of Speed (FoS) since its inaugural run up the hill at Goodwood. We’ve compiled this handy guide of previous reports to help you choose the best locations for your FoS photography.
In the reports below, you’ll find examples of photographs of the following:
- Paddock and Pits.
- Hill Climb. The 1.16-mile course runs through the middle of the Goodwood estate past Goodwood House.
- FoS Central feature. Located in-front of the Goodwood house.
- Off Road track. Located at the top of the hill just before the Rally Stage.
- Rally Stage. Designed by Hannu Mikkola in 2005 the Rally Stage is located within a forest not too far from the hill climb. There are loads of great viewing areas here, the best ones being on the inside of the course.
Camera equipment recommended for photographing the Festival of Speed:
70-200mm lens: Ideal for the Hill Climb, Rally Stage, and Off Road track. 300mm lens or larger is required for certain sections of the Rally Stage. I would recommend taking a 1.4 teleconverter for extra reach in this area.
Located within a forested area, which is quite dark, the Rally Stage track is challenging for photography. Wide aperture lenses are recommended for this area.
Wide angle lens: Perfect for the Paddock, Pits, and Central feature.
Other considerations for photographing the Festival of Speed:
Elevate yourself above the crowds and hay bails along the side of the course to get a better view, a small step is highly recommended.
The track is steep, and can be slippy so sturdy footwear is advised.
Pedestrian crossing points are located along the track. There are also bridges you can use when the track is live. Free drinking water is readily available as are numerous food outlets, which are of good quality but expensive.
The PistonClick motorsport photography team will be at the Festival of Speed 2025, check back to see how we got on.
