Rotary Cars in the Park
in association with The Stan Bowley Trust
Beacon Park, Lichfield
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July 2026
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
PLEASE SEE OUR LIST OF FAQs ON THE LATEST NEWS PAGE BEFORE CONTACTING US WITH QUERIES
THANK YOU!
Rotary Cars in the Park is organised by the Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad in association with The Stan Bowley Trust and attracts up to 2,000 cars and in excess of 20,000 visitors. The money raised from the event is distributed between local, national and international good causes. There is no charge for members of the public to attend but any donations into our collection buckets are greatly appreciated.
We are grateful to Jordan Financial Management for their support of Rotary Cars in the Park.
You can find out more about their services here
Chairman's Welcome
Dear Participant
On behalf of the Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad, and in association with the Stan Bowley Trust, may I offer you a warm welcome to the 29th year of Cars in the Park.
The event, held each year on the first weekend in July (so in 2026 the 4th and 5th July) is a major part of the Lichfield and public programme and is well known throughout the West Midlands and indeed nationally. It is now one of the largest classic car meetings held anywhere in Great Britain, and attracts in excess of 2,000 cars over the weekend. The event is held in Beacon Park in the heart of Lichfield, itself a wonderful example of municipal parkland and is a short walk into the historic centre of Lichfield.
Rotary Cars in the Park is organised by volunteers as a community event aimed at providing interest, enjoyment and social engagement for all the family and to raise funds for very worthy charitable causes. In addition to a large and varied collection of cars on display, we have an arena where a good selection of vehicles are brought in for the owners to showcase their cars and tell us all about them, a large array of main dealers every year so you can see the latest models from many different marques, children funfair entertainment, arena entertainment, stalls (auto-related, general and charities), a food village and usually we have JCB and the Fire brigade with their machinery to interest children and adults alike. As always, we keep fingers crossed for fine Summer weather for enjoying the outdoors!
Perhaps uniquely, we do not place any limits or restrictions on the type of cars which can attend. We love to see rare and unusual classic cars, but we also welcome modern classics, and indeed up to date cars. Their owners put just as much work and money into their vehicles and they are the classic car owners of tomorrow.
As usual, and to enable us to organise the event, we invite car clubs to apply for a pitch from 1st January 2026. You are advised to apply as soon as possible after bookings open as it tends to get booked quickly and numbers are such that we cannot guarantee that everyone can be accommodated.
Car Clubs booking is different this year; you are invited to book a pitch based on size (selecting from a choice of standard pitch sizes) rather than book based on a number of cars. With cars varying in size, clubs having different preferences in terms of configuration and spacing between cars and also requirements such as space for gazebos we decided that offering a range of pitch sizes would be clearer for cars clubs and our volunteer organisers.
Single Display cars, that is not attending as part of a club, can also book a place from 1st January 2026 which helps to speed up entry of cars into the park on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, you can also just turn up on the day and pay for your place. We will get you in somewhere. The price for Single Display cars is £15 for the weekend if booked in advance or £10 per day if not pre-booked.
If you are camping you MUST book in advance, again from 1st January 2026. There is a water supply, security overnight, good quality toilets, and First Aid provision during the day.
Traders and other stallholders can also book from 1st January 2026. In the booking system you will be required to upload copies of your Public Liability Insurance certificate, Risk Assessment and Food Hygiene certificate (if applicable) as part of the booking process. These are mandatory documents required by Lichfield District Council. For this year onwards, we have had to add a Street Trading fee to the price we charge. We are required to collect this Street Trading fee from traders / stallholders and pass on to the Lichfield District Council.
NO DRONES OR BARBEQUES are allowed at any time. No alcohol is sold on site. Please consider other legitimate park users and local residents and keep noise and music to a minimum. We request all attendees to behave in a socially responsible and considerate manner. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Gates open from 7.00am on Saturday and from 6.30am on Sunday. The gates will be closed at 11.00am and the show finishes at 4.00pm both days. PLEASE DO NOT ALL TRY TO LEAVE AT ONCE. The entrance and exit for the park is narrow and restricted. We will marshal all traffic so please observe the marshals’ directions.
Car parking (for non-display cars) in our designated areas costs £5 per car per day irrespective of the number of passengers.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK ALONG THE A51. This is a clearway and you will be committing an offence and may be fined. On Sunday you can park in the football ground off the A51 opposite Beacon Park where there is plenty of space.
Entry to the event on foot is free to all. WE DO ASK FOR VOLUNTARY DONATIONS OF CASH OR BY CARD. The show is expensive to put on, and ALL MONEY AFTER EXPENSES GOES TO CHARITY.
We look forward to seeing you all again.
Andrew Sims
Chair, Rotary Cars in the Park
Rotary Club of Lichfield St Chad
