Spa Classic - Whose been?

[Cartographer]

Hi all,

I want to head to spa classic in 2026 but I have never been to the event or spa.

Is there away to see what cars have entered prior to booking?

What is like over the 3 days, does it get boring or is there enough to generally to do?

Is pit access included in a general ticket or are there restrictions or another ticket you need?

If the heavens open is there rain cover or shelter?

For photos how close can you get? I have seen people on the armco but at previous events I have been to you need a photographers pass which is always a pain to organise.

Thanks in advance.

[TiringHippo]

Having promised myself for years that I'd return to Spa (last attendance was 2016 24 hours) I attended Spa Classic in 2024 for all three days. Even with all the rain in 2024, I found it to be a great event. It's a more relaxed event compared to Le Mans Classic or Goodwood events. I was camping ~20mins away from the circuit.

Cartographer said:

Is there away to see what cars have entered prior to booking?

I don't think the entry list is released until closer to the event. You can access timings from previous years via the Peter Auto website, the grids I saw in 2024 look similar to those present in 2025, this might give you an idea of the what to expect in 2026.

The grids span ~1966 to early 2000s. However, Peter Auto has now expanded the grids to include early GT3 cars.

Cartographer said:

What is like over the 3 days, does it get boring or is there enough to generally to do?

I found that there were plenty of cars to see and grids/races to watch. You can walk almost all the way around the circuit (there were some areas near Bruxelles and Campus that you couldn't access) - and watching the racing from different parts of the circuit kept it interesting. They also race into the night which adds another element to the event. It is a smaller event compared to the likes of Goodwood Revival/Members Meeting or Le Mans Classic, so there isn't as much non-racing entertainment available - there is a small trade area and funfair/wheel, but I can't remember there being much else. A big bonus of the smaller event (at least imo) was the smaller crowds, especially away from the pits.

Cartographer said:

Is pit access included in a general ticket or are there restrictions or another ticket you need?

Pit/paddock access in included with your ticket, the modern pits/garages housed multiple cars and with the exception of a couple of garages, you can get close to most cars.

You can pay to access the grid walk on the Saturday.

Cartographer said:

If the heavens open is there rain cover or shelter?

It rained most of Friday and Saturday in 2024, and I don't think the 2025 event escaped the rain either. There are sheltered grandstands opposite the historic pits and at Raidillon, and you can take cover within the modern pits or some of the tents around the paddock area. However, as you venture further away from the pits/La Source there are fewer location to shelter from the rain.

I plan to take a good pair of wellies when I next go to Spa!

Cartographer said:

For photos how close can you get? I have seen people on the armco but at previous events I have been to you need a photographers pass which is always a pain to organise.

As mentioned above, you can get close to the cars within the pits / paddock for photos. The grandstands opposite the historic pits and at Raidillon also offer some good vantage points (both were free to use throughout the weekend in 2024). There is a lot of catch fencing, but if you're willing to walk the circuit there are areas with reduced/lower catch fences. I took 35mm, 24-105mm, and 300mm lenses with me and managed to do okay - they're not going to win any awards, but I'm happy with them.

24-105mm
Heading down to Double Gauche


Speakers Corner

Raidillon grandstand

Grandstand opposite the historic pits


300mm
Double Gauche

Down to Double Gauche

From Eau Rouge

[dibblecorse]

As has been said, its a great place, special atmosphere and really good access, a lot of the fencing has cA3 sized landscape cutouts, perfect for pointing a camera through ....

Here's 3 random ones of mine..

[cliffords]

I went with my son about 8 years ago . It's a fantastic event and fascinating to see the cars as it gets dark.
There is a lot of access but do not expect a heap of commercial stalls and entertainment. It's about watching the cars .

We walked through a forest area one evening to watch the cars at a specific set of bends and lay on the grass for a couple of hours .

It was absolutely freezing!