United Kingdom · 2026 · Bisley, Surrey
Hot Rod Hayride 2026
The Hot Rod Hayride is Britain's traditional hot rod and kustom weekender, held at the Bisley Shooting Centre in Surrey from 19 to 21 June 2026. It is a strictly pre-1966 affair: a nostalgia-style show field, the Circle of Champions hosted by the Vintage Hot Rod Association, a Sunday Soapbox Derby, three stages of rock'n'roll and rockabilly, late-night clubs and camping on site. No modern show-car gloss — just period-correct rods and customs, and the culture that goes with them.
Request a quoteDates, venue and practical information
Dates 2026
The 2026 Hot Rod Hayride runs from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 June 2026. Standard tickets are valid for arrival any time after 9:00am on the Friday, and the event closes at 2:00pm on the Sunday. A Thursday arrival option is sold separately for those who want an extra night on site and an unhurried set-up — the marquee bar already has a band on the Thursday evening.
Note for regulars: the Hayride is a June event in 2026. If you have it pencilled in as an August weekender from previous years, check your calendar against the organiser's dates before booking travel.
Address and getting there
Bisley Shooting Centre, Queens Road, Brookwood, Surrey, GU24 0NY, England. The site sits west of Woking in Surrey, within easy reach of the M3 and roughly an hour from central London by road — one of the more accessible weekenders on the British calendar for anyone shipping a car into a southern port.
Camping and glamping
Camping covers the Friday and Saturday nights. Tent camping is free with your ticket; caravans, camper vans and trailer tents are charged at £55 each (maximum length 25 feet). A glamping option is run through a separate bell-tent provider, booked independently of the Hayride ticket itself.
What's on — the show field
The Hayride is defined by what it does not allow. The show field is reserved for pre-1966 nostalgia-style rods and customs, which keeps the whole field period-correct and gives the weekend its reputation.
Pre-1966 show field
The field is open to pre-1966 nostalgia-style rods and customs only. That cut-off is the whole point of the event: it filters out later billet-and-airbrush builds and leaves a field of flatheads, early small-blocks, chopped roofs and period paint.
The Circle of Champions
The show field's centrepiece is the Circle of Champions, hosted by the Vintage Hot Rod Association — a curated display of the cars that set the standard in the traditional British rod scene.
Soapbox Derby
Sunday lunchtime belongs to the Soapbox Derby: low speed, high drama, and an end-of-weekend excuse for chaos. The Car Club Soapbox Challenge pits clubs against each other for the bragging rights.
Flea market and autojumble
The Music Marquee turns into a flea market and autojumble on the Sunday morning — the traditional last stop before the drive home, and the place where the parts you did not know you needed change hands.
Stalls and traders
Traders cover car parts, vintage-style clothing, art, records, CDs and T-shirts, plus a hair stylist and a barber on site, and a full range of Hayride merchandise.
Have-a-go shooting
A quirk of the venue: on the Friday and Saturday you can have a go on Bisley's world-class rifle and shotgun ranges, with introductory sessions and guidance for beginners.
Music: bands, DJs and late-night clubs
The Marquee Bar — Thursday
For those arriving a day early, the Marquee Bar opens the weekend on the Thursday evening with a live band.
The Music Marquee — Friday and Saturday
The Music Marquee is the main stage across Friday and Saturday, with a full bill of rock'n'roll, rockabilly and rhythm'n'blues acts, plus DJs spinning between sets on both nights.
Late-night clubs (Bisley Pavilion)
The Bisley Pavilion hosts late-night clubs from 10pm to 2am, adults only, on the Friday and Saturday nights — a separate DJ-led session for those who are not ready to call it a night.
Food and drink
Catering sits next to the Music Marquee and opens from the Thursday evening: street food, ice cream and waffles, specialist coffee and a large, well-stocked bar.
Ticket prices 2026
Tickets are booked through the organiser's online booking page. The pricing below is the 2026 structure published by the Hot Rod Hayride.
| Ticket | Price 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (Fri 9:00am – Sun 2:00pm) | £110 per person | Includes tent camping, Friday and Saturday nights |
| Under 16 | FREE | Must be under 16 on the day and accompanied by a responsible adult; proof of age may be required |
| Thursday arrival (extra night) | £29 per person | Arrival any time after 2pm; under 16 free |
| Caravan / camper van / trailer tent | £55 | Maximum length 25 feet |
| Tent | FREE | Friday and Saturday nights |
Prices published by the organiser (hotrodhayride.co.uk) for the 2026 edition. Terms and conditions are revised periodically — always confirm on the official booking page before travelling.
Which American cars suit the Hayride
The pre-1966 rule shapes everything about what to bring. If you are planning a build — or thinking about importing a base car in time for a future edition — these are the cars that belong on this field:
- Ford Model A and Deuce-era rods — the backbone of the traditional British rod scene and the natural Circle of Champions material.
- 1950s Ford and Mercury customs — chopped, lowered, lead-sled territory, comfortably inside the pre-1966 window.
- Tri-Five Chevrolets (1955-1957) — Bel Air and 210 bodies remain the most workable American base for a period-correct build.
- Early full-size Chevrolet and Ford saloons — plentiful in the United States, and the cheapest honest entry into the field.
- Pre-1966 pickups — American trucks of the era are welcome, and a well-chosen one imports cheaply.
Note the obvious: most 1960s and 1970s muscle cars — Mustangs, Chargers, Camaros — fall outside the Hayride's show-field cut-off. They are welcome at nearly every other American show in Britain, and we source and import them regularly; the Hayride is simply not their event.
Planning your weekend — practical questions
Which cars can go on the show field?
The show field is for pre-1966 nostalgia-style rods and customs. The cut-off is what defines the event and it is applied consistently.
Is camping included in the ticket?
Tent camping is free with an adult ticket, for the Friday and Saturday nights. Caravans, camper vans and trailer tents are £55 each, up to 25 feet in length.
Can I arrive on the Thursday?
Yes — a Thursday arrival costs £29 per person (under 16 free) for arrival any time after 2pm, and includes the extra night's camping. The Marquee Bar has live music that evening.
Do children pay?
Under 16s go free, provided they are under 16 on the day of the event and accompanied by a responsible adult. Proof of age may be required for older teenagers.
When does the event finish?
The Hayride closes at 2:00pm on the Sunday, after the Soapbox Derby at lunchtime and the Sunday-morning flea market.
Useful links
- « All UK events 2026
- Home United Kingdom →
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Event facts (dates, venue, ticket prices, programme) sourced from the organiser, Hot Rod Hayride (hotrodhayride.co.uk), for the 2026 edition. Dates, prices and line-ups are subject to change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Looking for a pre-1966 American base car?
We source and import American classics from the USA to the UK — Tri-Five Chevrolets, 1950s Fords and Mercurys, early pickups — with shipping, customs and paperwork handled end to end. Tell us what you are after and we'll build you a quote.
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