George Begg Festival

It’s racing like the good old days.

Dust off your retro threads and get ready to celebrate a golden age in Kiwi motorsport: the George Begg Festival is returning to Invercargill and Teretonga Park.

Taking its cue from the 1960s and 1970s, the George Begg Festival will celebrate the Drummond farmer-turned-engineer-turned-racecar constructor who built a series of vehicles that bested some of the biggest marques in the world.

The George Begg Festival promises plenty of action on and off the track. Retro styling will take guests to a bygone era. The four-day celebration features a classic car run throughout Southland, live entertainment, food and beverage options galore, classic racing at its finest, and the disco glitz and glam of ‘Studio GB’—the Friday night party set to take place in the spectacular setting of Bill Richardson Transport World.

Next event date: 10 - 13 April 2025
Location: Invercargill
Keen to learn more: georgebeggfestival.nz

It will be as much fun for families as it is for petrolheads. Lose yourself in a carnival of fashion, food, drinks, and fun.

Dress to your favourite decade, whether it’s crochet and miniskirts or ties as wide as your pants. If the Eighties are more your bag, a double-denim Canadian tuxedo might be the ticket – or why not dust off some vintage racing overalls? Let your imagination run wild.

It’s the perfect background to soak up Invercargill’s reputation as New Zealand’s home to everything wheels.

Get trackside for the action: guests will be treated to a spectacle of wholehearted racing between skilled drivers behind the wheels of beautiful, classic machines from days gone by. Think historic touring, muscle and saloon cars, vintage-style single-seater race cars, sports and GT cars, Porsche and Ferrari beauties, and more.

The George Begg Festival will include plenty to tickle the tastebuds, from a classic car run traversing the region, an official welcome event at Bill Richardson Transport World, a relaxed barbecue affair alongside the track at Teretonga Park, and the chance to get a taste of Invercargill’s brand-new inner-city development.

And don’t miss the George Begg Bunker at Classic Motorcycle Mecca. The collection is home to the sleek, chisel-nosed racing machines crafted out of second-hand race parts by Begg himself – not to mention a lovingly-recreated ‘Toyshop’: the Drummond workshop where Begg worked his magic.

The George Begg Bunker is a true celebration of an understated Southland hero. It explores his early competitive motorcycling days, his life as an engineer and businessman, his incredible philanthropy efforts (he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities close to his heart) and an all-around good bloke. Not bad for a guy who decided to give building racecars a crack after reading a ‘how-to’ book.

Fire up your sense of nostalgia, and get ready to take a trip back in time.

While you’re here, why not check out George’s backyard and explore the rugged coastline of The Catlins, the starry skies of Rakiura Stewart Island or the majestic wilderness of Fiordland.

Fire up your sense of nostalgia for a trip back in time you’ll never forget.

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