2026 is shaping up to be an exceptional year for car enthusiasts in the Netherlands. The calendar is packed with events for every type of fan, from those devoted to historic racing machines to families looking for a great day out. Here are the highlights, month by month.
January: InterClassics Maastricht
The automotive year opens traditionally with InterClassics Maastricht at the MECC, one of the largest classic car fairs in the Benelux. Thousands of classics, youngtimers and rare sports cars change hands or go on display. Whether you're hunting a specific part or simply want to enjoy automotive beauty, this is a fixture on any enthusiast's calendar.
June: Historic Grand Prix Zandvoort, 19–21 June
A weekend that proves year after year that historic motorsport is a category of its own. From 19 to 21 June, historic Formula 1 cars, Le Mans prototypes, GT machines and touring cars tear across the tarmac at Circuit Zandvoort on the North Holland coast. Masters Historic Racing brings classes including the Racing Legends, Endurance Legends and GT Trophy, names that speak for themselves.
The combination of an open paddock, an iconic circuit and the nostalgia of decades of motorsport history makes the Historic Grand Prix one of the finest car events of the year. Tickets are available via the official Circuit Zandvoort website.
July: Goodwood Festival of Speed, 9–12 July
For those willing to cross the Channel, the reward is one of the most legendary automotive events in the world. The Goodwood Festival of Speed at the Duke of Richmond's estate in West Sussex is four days of world debuts, historic racing machines and legendary drivers on the famous 1.9-kilometre hillclimb.
The theme of the 2026 edition is “The Rivals”, a celebration of the great rivalries that have shaped motorsport history. Think the Porsche 917 against the Ferrari 512S, the Lancia 037 taking on the Audi Quattro, and many other iconic duels brought back to life on Goodwood Hill. Alongside the spectacular hillclimb there are brand-new model debuts, an extensive static show area and the legendary atmosphere that sets the Festival of Speed apart from any other event.
September: the best month in the automotive calendar
September is simply the finest month for car enthusiasts. Four events compete for attention in the same period and they could hardly be more different from one another.
Wheels Mariënwaerdt, 11, 12 & 13 September 2026
Then there is Wheels Mariënwaerdt, the largest and most diverse car event in the Netherlands. For three days, Landgoed Mariënwaerdt in Beesd (Gelderland) becomes the centre of the Dutch automotive world.
The event combines what no other festival in the Netherlands combines: the International Concours d’Elegance, where the most beautiful and rarest classics and historic sports cars are judged by an international jury; the Wheels Fair, a curated lifestyle and automotive show platform featuring the latest models from leading brands; the Sprint & Trial, where participants compete on the estate’s own grounds in classes for classics and youngtimers; and the KNAC Club Collection, where the most remarkable club collections in the Netherlands are presented to the public.
What sets Wheels Mariënwaerdt apart from other events is the setting. Landgoed Mariënwaerdt is not a car park or a race venue but a historic country estate with avenues, water features and a grandeur that matches the allure of the cars on show. Visitors come not just for the cars, but for the total experience.
Tickets are available online from €29.50 for adults and €14.50 for children, cheaper than at the gate. Want to participate with a classic or youngtimer? Registration for the Concours d’Elegance, Sprint & Trial, Youngtimer Concours and KNAC Club Collection is available via the participation page at wheelsevents.nl.
Goodwood Revival, 18–20 September
A week after Wheels Mariënwaerdt, the other great Goodwood event takes place at the same circuit in West Sussex. Where the Festival of Speed is about spectacle and premieres, the Goodwood Revival is something else entirely: a time machine. Visitors dress in period clothing, the paddock breathes the atmosphere of the 1950s and 60s, and some of the most valuable and rare racing cars in the world take to the track.
The theme of the 2026 edition is “La Dolce Vita”, with Italian style and passion as the thread running through the weekend. The programme features fifteen races, including the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy for pre-1963 GT cars, the Whitsun Trophy for sports-racing prototypes and the return of the Brooklands Trophy for pre-1939 sports cars. Special guest Jenson Button attends, and the three Ford GT40s that finished first, second and third at Le Mans in 1966 are reunited on track for the first time.
Techno Classica Salon Dortmund, 24–27 September
For those who still haven’t had enough after two Goodwood weekends and Wheels Mariënwaerdt, Germany beckons. The Techno Classica, one of the world’s largest classic car fairs, makes a historic move in 2026. After 36 years in Essen, the fair opens for the first time in Dortmund, from 24 to 27 September. Under its new name Techno Classica Salon, the fair presents more than 2,700 classics, youngtimers and prestige cars, supplemented by parts suppliers, restoration specialists and club presentations. For anyone looking for a classic or wanting to get lost in automotive history: Dortmund is an easy trip from the Netherlands for a day or a weekend.
October & November: closing out the season
The outdoor season wraps up with a handful of strong events. American Sunday at TT Circuit Assen (25 October) is the definitive platform for American cars in the Netherlands: muscle cars, pick-ups, lowriders and classics come together for shows, drag races and an unmistakable atmosphere. In November, InterClassics Brussels closes out the classic car season, just across the border and easily reachable from the Netherlands.
The common thread: 2026 is an extraordinary automotive year
Whether you come for the racing action in Zandvoort, the hillclimb spectacle of the Festival of Speed, the time-travel experience of the Goodwood Revival, the automotive grandeur of Wheels Mariënwaerdt, the vast selection at Techno Classica or the raw Americana of American Sunday: 2026 has a highlight for every type of car enthusiast.
For visitors from the Netherlands and beyond, Wheels Mariënwaerdt on 11, 12 & 13 September is the natural centrepiece of the automotive year. The largest, most complete car event the Netherlands has to offer, in a setting worthy of the cars themselves.
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