This ultimate events calendar enumerates major automotive events in Europe and serves our annual bucket list we follow. The pandemic brought fundamental changes, and even if we are getting back to normality we still get some surprises.
Last year the Brussels Car Show did not take place, despite a brilliant 2023 event that topped our ranking, but a new kind of show was held under a new name following a different concept, while Geneva Car Show returned only to give it up for good, following lack of interest from the car industry and swiss importers. The summary of our impressions and our subjective ranking are included in a separate article, you might find a few surprises.
2025 promises to be a good year. Even if Geneva is gone, Brussels Car Show returned to take over its place as major European international car show and even the 2024 substitute Brussels Auto Show is here to stay, albeit in a new location and at a new date. InterClassics Maastricht celebrates its 30th anniversary and we will see the very last of Essen Techno Classica before the organisers of Retro Classic take it over. Also, Classic Days seems fell out last minute as the organisers complained of impossible regulatory conditions.
Some events happen only in the odd years, so we can see Le Mans Classic and IAA Munich happening. A few events are announced without a concrete date, so we will update this list regularly when new developments arise. All in all we hope to see a fine 2025 filled with great car events.
The European automotive events calendar 2025
Autosport International – (9 – 12 January) – Birmingham, UK – Official website
InterClassics Classic Car Show Maastricht – 16-19 January, Maastricht, the Netherlands – Official website
The InterClassics Maastricht is a well-established classic car event of the Benelux region. With some changes on the website, the event acquired the name Classic Car Show Maastricht
It is usually one of the first car events on the calendar, and this year the organisers celebrate the 30th anniversary of the event.
Brussels Motor Show – (10-19 January) – Brussels, Belgium – Official website
This Brussels Motor Show is one of the best international car shows in Europe. It grew steadily in the 2010s, and by 2020 it sported more brands than Paris or Frankfurt. The Autosalon is organised every year, and the lucrative Belgian market required presence at the show from all brands to remain relevant.
As Geneva seems to fall out for good, Brussels is best placed to take over the hosting of the Car of the Year Award. Pretty much every single car brand came, and the show celebrates its 100th anniversary. We had really high expectations, and the show exceeded in every aspect. Unfortunately, the Brussels Car Show consumed so much firecrackers that they did not leave enough ammo for the next show. Organiser FEBIAC announced the cancellation of the 2024 edition, but now, they promise to return.
Bremen Classic Motorshow, 31 January – 2 February, Bremen, Germany – Official Website
Retromobile – 5 – 9 February, – Paris, France – Official website
We usually refer the Retromobile exhibition as the queen of classic car events. There is always room to claim to be the largest classic car event, but the sheer quality of Retromobile is what puts it on our A-list. This event is the arena of the real players, where the major classic car collectors face off and chase the world record of auctions.
Aspiring events and major national museum rent space at the vent just to put themselves to the map (the early timing of the event also helps).
The 2020 event was truly great, probably the last show unaffected by the Pandemic. After a half hearted 2022, the 2023 edition proved to be great again, returning to its old setting but we had to miss it due to conflicting programmes. The 2024 event followed the 2023 tradition and also the two counter events (the auctions organised by Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s) took place at the same weekend. We are expecting another top event in 2025.
Paris Auction Week – the auctions of Artcurial , Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s (listed strictly in alphabetical order).
These Auctions usually take place during the week of Rétromobile, and we aime to see all three, as each are a car show on their own right. Artcurial is the show’s official auctioneer, while Bonhams and Sotheby’s bunk is in the city centre. Each auction is a car show in its own right. .
These auctions coincide the same weekend, RM Sotherby’s Paris action takes place on 4-5 February, while Bonhams returns to the Grand Palais on 7 February concluding with Artcurial.
Flanders Collection Cars, 14-16 February, Ghent, Belgium – Official Website
This event followed the footsteps of Antwerp Classic, though no linger under the auspices of SIHA.
The ICE, 21-22 February, St Moritz, Switzerland – Official website
Automotoretrò, 8-9 March, Parma, Italy- Official Website
Belgium Auto Show – (7-9 March) – Ghent, Belgium – Official website
This Brussels Auto Show was meant to be the replacement for the Brussels Car Show last year, but could not fill the massive shoes. As the Autosalon returned, the BAS had to find a new date, home and hence even a name.
Thus the show moved to Ghent, and will be held a few months later. As the BAS followed a different concept, closer to the variety shows of Essen Motor Show, it is not rendered redundant.
Essen Techno Classica, 9-13 April, Essen, Germany – Official website
The Techno Classica is also one of the most important automotive events in the continent, which means pretty much the world. The exhibition claims to be the number 1 of classic car fairs, and this show also delivers.
During COVID, Techno Classica was cancelled, and upon its return in 2022, the show was a mere shadow of itself. There is a gradual return of manufacturers in 2023, and but unfortunately, none of them returned to Essen in 2024. The next show is the very last Techno Classica ever, as Retro Classic takes over Essen in 2026.
International Amsterdam Motor Show, 17-21 April, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Official website
I visited the AutoRAI in 2015, which left a lovely impression. However, it was discontinued, and a new car show event launched a few years ago. We keep this on our bucket list, though we are getting mixed impressions, including unresponsive organisers and postponements. For 2025, the organisers revamped the website, so it might go ahead this time.
Spa Summer Classic, 25-27 April, Spa, Belgium – Official website
This event is held annually at Spa-Francorchamps. Although Spa Summer Classics is not as clear-cut as the Spa Classic mentioned earlier, it is still worth visiting. The event combines the regional classic car series to race at this legendary circuit.
Retro Classics Stuttgart, 27-2 March , Stuttgart, Germany – Official Website
One of Europe’s flagship classic car events, but the specialty of the organisers is to find dates coinciding with other major events (the Techno Classica event series or the InterClassic series). We attended in 2020, just before the pandemic. It was literally the last car show on earth, for about two years.
Oldtimer Messe Tulln, 10-11 May, Tulln, Austria – Official website
Klassikwelt Bodensee, 16-18 May, Fridriechshafen, Germany – Official website
Spa Classic, 23-25 May, Spa, Belgium – Official website
The Spa event is part of the classic racing series run by the French Peter Auto series.
While the flagship event is the bi-annual Le Mans Classics (scheduled to July), the roaring circus visits Spa every year, and so do we for the past years.
Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, 23-25 May, Cernobbio, Italy – Official website
The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of the most well-known beauty contests of historic cars. It is undoubtedly the most traditional event, held for the first time in 1929. Since its revival in the 1990s, the Concorso has developed into a benchmark of European Concours events.
Nürburgring Classics, 13-15 June, Nürburgring, Germany – Official website
1000 Miglia – 17-21 June, Brescia – Rome, Italy – Official website
Concours d’Elégance Suisse, 14-16 June, Chateau de Coppet, Switzerland, – Official website
Spettacolo Sportivo, TBC, Zandvoort, Netherlands – Official website
This event was on our wish list for the 110th anniversary of Alfa Romeo, but we still need to see it ourselves.
Le Mans Classics, 3 – 6 July, Le Mans, France – Official website
Le Mans Classics is the flagship event of the brilliant Peter Auto classic racing series. As biennial event, it used to take shifts with Hungaroring Classics and Chantilly, but we did not see Hungaroring in the calendar for some time.
Peter Auto’s current calendar includes only Le Mans Classics this year, and it will certainly prove to be one of the best classic car races of the year.
Goodwood Festival of Speed, 10-13 July, Goodwood, UK – Official website
Eifel Rallye Festival, 24-26 August, Daun, Germany – Official website
Classic Days, (TBC), Düsseldorf, Germany – Official website
Another lesser-known event that promises a great program, and the reports confirmed that it’s a must-see. The core programme is a classic car meeting, that moved out of the usual lakeside castle to a park near Düsseldorf, becoming a major classic car jamboree. Unfortunately, the new site brought new challenges, and just before the 2024 event, the organisers decided to withdraw due to excessive red tape.
Oldtimer-Grand-Prix, 1-3 August, Nürburgring, Germany – Official website
It seems like a great event from the official photos, definitely worth a visit.
Silverstone Festival, 22-24 August, Silverstone, UK – Official website
One of the UK’s largest classic car events is held at the legendary Silverstone race track. Personally, I have been looking at Silverstone Classics for quite some time. Still, people out there drive on the wrong side of the street without even noticing! : ).
The photos on the website seem spectacular (and after a few classic car races, we can tell : ) ), both in terms of scenery and cars attending on and off track. Visitors get to see classic sports cars and race cars in their natural environment, i.e. on the race track. 2025 brought a new name, and we are curious to see if it brings any changes in the concept.
Salon Privé, 27 – 30 August , Blenheim Palace, UK – Official website
The Salon Privé might not be that well-known outside the UK, but the event has a distinctively classy and aristocratic flair, covering both classic and supercar shows.
Concours of Elegance, 5 – 7 September, Hampton Court Palace, UK – Official website
An interesting concept to arrange a similar event to the same week not far away. This might actually work, as tourists can group the two occasions for a visit to the region (we certainly would, had there been no Brexit).
Antwerp Concours, 5-7 September, Antwerp, Belgium – Official website
This event was one of the best surprises of 2021, and last year, it did not fall much behind. The venue is a castle near Antwerp, and organisers deliver some 100 dream cars of all epochs. We were genuinely impressed by the 2021 event, and the 2022 was not much far behind. We also loved the 2023 event and the 2024 edition.
IAA Mobility, 9-14 September, Munich, Germany – Official website
In 2021, the well established German car show moved to a new location after many decades of successful trade shows in Frankfurt.
The new location in Munich raised some eyebrows, but in the end t worked out quite well. Thus the show integrated the city and we get to see many exciting new concepts, like the Art Car exhibition in the Pinakotheke Museum. This year, the show returns to Munich again, and we are looking for another automotive highlight.
Goodwood Revival, 12-14 September, Goodwood, UK – Official website
Another legendary event in a legendary site. In addition to the Festival of Speed, Revival is one of the events we would like to visit one day. Unfortunately, with Brexit, this is getting even more unlikely.
Rallye Legend – 2-5 October, San Marino, Italy – Official website
Zoute Grand Prix, 9-12 October, Knokke-Heist, Belgium, – Official website
This excellent Concours d’elegance takes place in October by the Belgian coast. The event looks back to a decade of success with a continually growing audience growing beyond 250.000 visitors in 2018.
The Zoute Grand Prix comprises five events held throughout the four days at various locations: the Zoute Top Marques show (last year called Prado Zoute), the Zoute Rally, the Zoute Sale by Bonhams Auction, the Zoute Concours d’elegance and the closing Zoute GT Tour.
Some of these events are public, others might require additional investment. The 2019 event guaranteed a full day of activities with a comprehensive set of programmes. For us, this was the best car event of 2021, hands down. And the same thing happened to the 2022 event. Since 2023, Zoute GP did not feature a Concours d’Elegance, but it still proved to be one of the best car events of the year.
Auto-moto d’epoca – 23-26 October, Bologna Italy – Official website
Interclassics Brussels, 14-16 November, Brussels, Belgium – Official website
The Interclassics Brussels is a relatively recent event, will be held for the eight time this year. However, the organisers are far from being beginners.
Their main event, the Interclassics Maastricht is the most important classic car event in the Netherlands with some three decades of history. Even as a newcomer, Interclassics Brussels quickly established itself, thanks to the region’s very active classic car culture.
The last few events were quite impressive. In 2019, I think it surpassed the Maastricht event, the 2021 InterClassics Brussels was one of the few major classic car events actually held. The 2002 edition was good as always, albeit limited to 3 halls. The 2023 edition was slightly larger, but its still not at the level of its prime. In 2024, the show offered largely the same spectacle as last year.
Milano AutoClassica, TBA November, Milano, Italy – Official website
Another event on our bucket list, as a stable candidate for a visit.
Ypres Historic Regularity Rallye, TBA, Ypres, Belgium- Official website
The earliest date might serve this event best, as the 2023 edition was hit by a snowstorm, making rallying in prewar cars on diagonals quite tricky.
Classic-Event Waregem, TBA, Waregem, Belgium – Official website
Classic Event Waregem worked well as an exhibition, with a well-laid out choreography. Sadly, the event has been cancelled last year, but we keep up the hope for 2025.
Prewar Days, TBA, Kortrijk, Belgium – Official website
Prewar Days was on our bucket list for a long time. The event acquired quite a reputation in Belgium, as we encountered their delegations at various events like InterClassics and Antwerp Concours. Finally we could finally attend in 2023 and 2024.
Essen Motor Show, 29 November – 7 December, Essen, Germany – Official website
We like to summarise the Essen Motor Show as a European SEMA meets classic car show. It can not be compared to the international car shows, even if a few dealerships exhibit. For a full-blooded international car show, wait a few weeks and go to Brussels. But it’s safe to say that EMS will leave quite a few lasting memories on other fronts, with a clear aim to please everybody by offering everything on all fronts.
2018, I could witness VW’s electric Pikes Peak stormer ID R and Porsche’s 919 Nürburgring dominator, I watched the drift championship training session, I marvelled all forms of beauty and was paralysed by shock and awe in the taverns of tuning.
EMS is organised every year, and with an eventual cancellation of the Techno Classica, the EMS could step in as a backup plan. The 2021 event however could not come close to the Techno Classica, even if we could see quite a few spectacular cars. The 2022 event was a bit more reserved but surpassed ETC in our books, and 2023 saw another major car event.
International Racingshow – 20-21 December, Kortrijk, Belgium – Official website
This show was a new item on our bucket list, but definitely raised our interest. The show presented an impressive selection of classic race cars, and we would definitely like to attend again.
