The 2024 British Grand Prix matched its record weekend attendance figure from 12 months ago, while Silverstone hosted a record race day crowd.
Silverstone has announced a weekend attendance of 480,000 at the 2024 British Grand Prix – a figure which matches the event’s record number from last year.
Race day itself – which saw Lewis Hamilton become the first driver in Formula 1 history to secure nine victories at a single circuit – was a record-breaker for the British track, with 164,000 passing through the circuit gates on Sunday alone. It’s a new attendance record for Silverstone and is an increase on 4,000 from the race day attendance of 160,000 in 2023.
Unlike in 2023, Silverstone has not announced that all three days of the 2024 British Grand Prix weekend sold out. Daily attendance figures have not been revealed for the full four-day race weekend. Tickets for the event were still available online until gates opened for the first day of Free Practice on Friday.
On Friday, in what appeared to be a last minute decision, fans with General Admission tickets were granted access to the circuit’s roving grandstands – but were only told so by stewards and ‘race makers’ at the circuit. Roving grandstand upgrades for Saturday – priced at £40 – were also available to General Admission ticket holders when gates opened on qualifying day, suggesting neither Friday nor Saturday was fully sold out.
Aside from racing action from Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup, the 2024 British Grand Prix weekend also featured headline performances from the likes of Kings of Leon, Stormzy, Pete Tong and Rudimental.
2024 British Grand Prix is Best Attendance Race of the Season So Far
The 2024 British Grand Prix is now at the top of the list of the best-attended races in the 2024 season, taking the top spot from the Australian Grand Prix. The Albert Park race had a 4-day weekend attendance of just over 452,000.
In 2023, the British Grand Prix held on to the spot for the rest of the season, becoming the best-attended race of 2023. It regularly features as one of the best-attended events each year. The 2023 and 2024 British Grands Prix are tied as the second-best attended F1 race weekends on record, behind only the 1995 Australian Grand Prix. F1’s final race in Adelaide brought out a 4-day crowd of 520,000.
The fact that the 2024 British Grand Prix equalled last year’s attendance figure is a surprise, given the rhetoric ahead of the race weekend. In June, Silverstone’s Managing Director Stuart Pringle told members of the press that ticket sales were at a lower point than in the previous year, suggesting that Red Bull’s continued domination of the sport was partly to blame.
At the start of July, it was reported that there had been a surge in ticket sales for the 2024 British Grand Prix. The surge was attributed to increased competition at the front of the field in Formula 1, with McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris appearing as Max Verstappen’s biggest contender.
Autosport reported that Silverstone bosses expected a sell-out Sunday at Silverstone but added that the circuit had “deliberately reduced capacity” for the 2024 race weekend. The fact that Sunday attendance grew by 4,000 compared to last year is therefore somewhat confusing.
British Grand Prix organisers have attracted criticism in recent years for utilising a dynamic pricing model, which has led to inflated ticket prices. In 2024, the Silverstone race ranks at the fifth most expensive to attend of the 24 Grands Prix on the calendar.
Silverstone Set To Continue As British Grand Prix Host Until 2034
Earlier this year, Silverstone signed a new long-term contract with Formula 1 to remain as host of the British Grand Prix until at least 2034. It ensures that Silverstone will be the first circuit to appear on the World Championship calendar in as many as nine different decades.
The 2025 British Grand Prix is set to take place on July 4-6. Fans have been invited to register their interest in buying tickets for next year’s race via the official Silverstone website. Tickets are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. In recent years, British Grand Prix tickets have been available from mid-September.
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