Thinking about making a weekend out of one of the many Brands Hatch headline motorsport events? Consider camping out at the circuit, but before you do make sure you read this Brands Hatch camping guide with all the information you need before you set off.
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Can you camp at Brands Hatch?
At selected race weekends throughout the year, you are able to camp in a dedicated campsite at Brands Hatch circuit itself.
The events which allow camping are most (but not all) of the headline Brands Hatch events.
Can you stay overnight at trackdays or other events?
If you are attending an event that is not listed above and you want to stay overnight, sometimes you are able to do so in the paddock or one of the general parking areas in your support vehicle or van for free.
If you are on a trackday and wish to stay the night before, get in touch with the trackday organiser to confirm the arrangements. It’s likely you will be in the lower paddock area.
If you are a driver, rider of part of a race team competing during a race weekend then sleeping in your race or support vehicle between days in the paddock is usually fine.
Brands Hatch camping arrangements
During the events which offer camping, the campsite is within the Brands Hatch boundaries but on the outside of the circuit, not the infield. However it is only a few minutes’ walk to the main spectator areas, meaning it is a great way to beat the cars queuing to enter and leave the circuit each day.
There are two different camping arrangements depending on which events are taking place.
General camping
Firstly, there is the general camping arrangement. This is suitable for tents, motorhomes and caravans and is in place for the following race weekends in 2024:
- BTCC
- British Truck Racing Championship
- British GT and GB3
- GT World Challenge
- Masters historic festival
- Tunerfest South
- Festival Italia
For these events there is just one general camping area, split across two fields as shown in the map below. Sometimes the campsite on the right of these two is classed as an overflow, hence there are no facilities shown on the map.
Usually the temporary yellow event road signs leading up to the circuit will tell you to follow the square for the campsite at the circuit. Regardless, to access this camping area you have to enter the circuit via the main entrance. Upon entry you will be directed down a small side lane to the security gate at the entrance of the campsite.
You cannot reserve a specific pitch here, instead it is first-come-first served on the day.
Quiet camping
The second campsite setup at Brands Hatch is when the camping areas are split in to general and quiet campsites. Both are suitable for tents, motorhomes and caravans. This format is only used at the biggest events of the year, where the raucous fans are likely to get their rowdiest:
- American Speedfest
- British Superbike championship
The quiet camping area is designed for families who value their beauty sleep in the evenings. Officially, in the quiet campgrounds, noisy hours come to an end at 10:30pm (which is the cut off for generators) but they ask you to be respectful of your noise from 9:00pm onwards. But don’t expect complete silence. Here’s a YouTube video showing how packing the quiet camping area can get on a busy race weekend.
In the general campings areas during these events, noisy hours end at midnight.
As with the previous camping arrangement, both the quiet and general campsites are accessible by the main entrance. Getting to the general campsite will involve driving around the perimeter of the quiet campsites, so please be respectful.
Brands Hatch camping prices
The cost to camp at Brands Hatch ranges anywhere from £35 per adult to completely free, depending on the event. Tickets are always much cheaper when purchased online in advance, with savings of almost 20% compared to buying on the gate. Camping tickets must be purchased in addition to general admission tickets, and a camping ticket is required for each person in your campsite.
You do not have to buy or reserve a campsite pitch, just buy Brands Hatch camping tickets for each person.
Below are the camping costs for the different events.
Adults: £35 / Teens (13-15): £20 / Kids: Free
The British Superbike Championship is the most popular event of the year so both of these rounds have the most expensive camping. The prices above are same for the quiet and general camping areas, for both rounds of the BSB.
Adults: £32 / Teens (13-15): £19 / Kids: Free
These events charge a little less for camping than the BSB events:
- BTCC (both rounds)
- American speedfest (general and quiet areas are the same price)
- GT World Challenge Europe
- British Truck Racing Championship & fireworks (November)
Adults: Free / Teens (13-15): Free / Kids: Free
At the following events camping is free. However, in these cases the facilities are much more limited than at the larger events.
- British Truck Racing championship (April)
- British GT and GB3 Championships
- Masters Historic Festival
- Tunerfest South
- Festival Italia
How to book Brands Hatch camping tickets
Paid camping tickets can be booked in advance via the MSV website. To do this, head to the general booking section and proceed to Step 3 – Camping. Select as many tickets as you need based on how many people in your party need access to the campsite.
The screenshot below is an example of booking camping tickets for a round of the BTCC at Brands Hatch in 2023. They can also be purchased on arrival, but there is no guarantee there will be any left.
Free camping events do not require any tickets to be purchased or reserved in advance. Simply tell the marshal at the entry gate that you’d like to use the free camping area.
Brands Hatch campsite facilities
A full list of the facilities available to campers at Brands Hatch is available here, however I will highlight some of the more frequently asked points below.
Electrical hook ups
There are no electrical hook ups at any campsite at any event at Brands Hatch. Bring your own source of power if you need it!
Can you have a BBQ at Brands Hatch?
The campsite rules state that you are allowed a BBQ at Brands Hatch as long as it is raised off the ground. In addition they state no open fires are allowed but fairly well enclosed fire pits seem to be fine.
Can you take alcohol in to Brands Hatch?
You can bring your own alcohol, food and drink in to Brands Hatch, both for the campsite and general admission.
Toilets / showers / water
There are good toilet and shower facilities dotted around the campsites at Brands that are usually fairly well maintained. However these do get busy at peak times, so take that in to consideration when planning your next freshen-up.
There are drinking water standpipes dotted around the campsite, see the maps for specific locations.
Entry / exit times
Usually the campsite will open at midday the day before the event and close midday the day after.
Are dogs allowed at Brands Hatch?
Unfortunately no dogs or other animals are allowed anywhere on site at Brands Hatch, whether that’s the campsite or around the outside of the circuit in the spectator viewing areas. This is a live motor racing circuit so it wouldn’t be safe.
The only exception is for certified guide and assistance dogs. In some places on the Brands website it says this needs to be pre-arranged with the venue in advance, so get in touch with them to make sure there’s no delays on the day.
The video below gives an example of the family (quiet) camping area at Brands.
Campsites near Brands Hatch
In addition to the campsite within the circuit itself, there are a number of other Brands Hatch camping options at external campsites that offer good options. Below are a few of the closest ones, but additional sites can be found on Google Maps or Jetcamp.
Lucy's Barn camping field
Lucy’s Barn camping field is pretty much a field with a few toilets, shower blocks and picnic benches. It has electrical hookup and fresh water taps, and is only a 6 minute drive away from the entrance to the circuit. Or, if you want to avoid the traffic, you could bring you push bike and ride it in about 15 minutes.
Prices aren’t listed on their website but going by previous posts on their Facebook page it seems to be £20/night for a pitch for up to 4 people.
Bookings can be made over the phone or via email, and could be a nice option for a bit more space and tranquility during a race weekend.
It gets 4.6 / 5 on Google reviews, with most people being very satisfied with their camping experience for the price. It is a field so if it is due to rain, expect it to get muddy.
Thriftwood Country Park
Thriftwood Country Park is a full holiday park, complete with a heated outdoor pool, a fully licensed bar and holiday lodges. It offers a much more luxurious camping option than Lucy’s above, but then it comes at greater cost. They offer touring pitches for £50 per night for up to 2 adults, including water and electrical hook ups.
It’s just under 4 miles away from the Brands Hatch circuit it is only a short drive away or a 20 minute bike ride.
It gets a 4.2 / 5 on Google reviews with over 180 reviews. Some of these will review to the holiday lodges than can be rented, another good option for accommodation during a race weekend.
