If you’re a first timer to the British Grand Prix or want some more info for your next visit, this article has all the Silverstone general admission tips you need to help you plan your trip.
It includes a fully comprehensive list of everything you need to bring with you, where to sit and what time to arrive.
General Admission tickets to the F1 British Grand Prix are the most cost effective way to get in to the Silverstone circuit and watch the action.
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Silverstone F1 General Admission tickets
Silverstone General Admission tickets are the most afforadable way to go to the British GP, which often means they sell out fast.
If thats the case but you’re still after some, I’d suggest buying tickets through StubHub. They always have a great stock of tickets for sale, including many single-day options. Tickets can also appear for sale cheaper than list price in the run-up to the event.
I’ve purchased F1 tickets through StubHub numerous numerous times over the last couple of seasons, including when I went to the inaugural Las Vegas GP in 2023. I’ve always had a great experience buying with them and will definitely be using them again next time.
They also have a very robust ‘FanProtect guarantee’ which keeps your tickets and money protected.
Is general admission at Silverstone good?
General Admission tickets at Silverstone are the cheapest way to get access to the Formula One British Grand Prix.
Whilst a standard general admission ticket doesn’t give you access to any grandstands or exclusive enclosures, it does mean you are free to walk around the outside of the whole circuit and find your favourite viewing spot. If you are quick off the mark and get in to the circuit early, you can blag a great spot. More on that below.
General admission tickets can be over 50% cheaper for a 3-day (or 4-day) pass than some of the grandstands at Silverstone, so it’s likely you’ll save yourself a heap of money. Just be prepared to get your steps in and face the elements!
GA tickets also get you full access to all of the off-track activities like the concerts, entertainment zones, fan zones and more (but not the exclusive afterparties such as the Mahiki club).
Read the rest of this article for some Silverstone general admission tips that should hopefully help you plan your day and make the most of your experience at the F1. It includes a very thorough list list on what to bring with you at the bottom of the page.
If you are thinking about camping, read the full guide to camping at Silverstone.
Silverstone F1 venue map
Check out Silverstone’s interactive map of the circuit for the F1 weekend below. This includes the location of everything – food, drinks, entrances, GA areas, live music stages and more.
Getting to Silverstone
We have full guides on getting to Silverstone by different modes of transport, so read those for much more detail on how to get to the British Grand Prix:
If you are planning on driving and parking near the circuit, make sure you’re aware of the road closures and one-way systems in place. Silverstone’s traffic management plan details all of these:
Where should I sit at Silverstone with general admission?
The map below courtesy of the Silverstone website shows the general admission spectating areas around the outside of the circuit, highlighted in blue.
If you have a 3 day ticket, it makes sense to spend the first day or two walking around the circuit to sample the different viewing areas and find your favourite before race day on Sunday.
If you don’t want to do that, or have only got a ticket for Sunday, below are a few of my suggestions.
1 – Vale corner. This is the biggest and most popular general admission spectating area. This is a huge open area of grass that gives you views of the exit of Stowe and the whole of Vale, Club and the run on to the Hamilton Straight.
This is a fan favourite as you’re always guaranteed to see some overtaking action at the tight left / right chicane of Vale. See our article on Vale corner viewing for more info on the view, TV screens and spectating at this spot.
The video below shows the General Admission view from Vale and Club at 4:19.
2 – Stowe corner. Just a little further back round the track from Vale, the general admission viewing area at Stowe lets you see the cars as they come down the Hangar Straight towards you at close to 200mph.
You can see their downforce in action through the incredibly fast corner, and if you stand in the right place you can see them all the way down through Vale and Club.
It’s a much smaller GA area, in front of the middle of the three grandstands only. Our article on spectating at Stowe corner has a lot more info.
The video below shows the General Admission view from Stowe at 5:08.
3 – Becketts corner. The general admission spectating area here runs in front of both the Becketts and Chapel grandstands.
It’s quite a narrow area, but it gives you a great view of the cars being sucked to the ground through the incredibly fast Maggots and Becketts corners, followed by Chapel.
These corners are one of the most impressive displays of their aero grip anywhere on the circuit. See our posts on Becketts and Chapel corners for more info on where to sit, stand and spectate from.
The first image below is from the Becketts stand, the second is from Chapel. You can see people stood or sat on the ground in the GA viewing areas near the fence in both.
The video below shows the view from the Chapel General Admission area at 6:18.
What is general admission plus?
For about £100 extra for a weekend pass you can buy general admission plus tickets at the Silverstone F1.
These give you the same access to the general admission spectating areas, but in addition you get entry to four different ‘GA Plus’ viewing areas on Friday and Saturday, and then just your chosen GA Plus viewing area on the Sunday.
The GA Plus viewing areas are mainly concrete steps that are slightly raised up, usually in front of some grandstands. They are nowhere near as elevated as the grandstands, but they do have a slightly higher viewpoint than the normal general admission areas.
Below is the Luffield GA Plus area, in front of the Luffield grandstand.
People still bring chairs to put on the steps. You might be able to sit down between F1 sessions and during the support races but when the Formula 1 boys are on track msot people will be standing up.
There are two GA Plus areas at Copse Corner, two at Luffield Corner, one at Abbey and one at Stowe.
What time should I get to Silverstone?
You should get to Silverstone by 6am at the latest if you want to get one of the best viewing spots for the F1 race on Sunday.
Silverstone entrance gates open at 7:30am Friday and Saturday, and 6:30am on Sunday.
If you want to get a great spot close to the edge of the circuit, you will 100% need to be in the queue to enter the circuit before the gates open. Even then, some of the fast track ticket holders might have already nabbed the best spots (see next section).
If on the Sunday you plan to get there for 9am or 10am you won’t find a decent spot, plus you’ll have missed some of the support race action. The early bird catches the F1 worm!
Don’t rush to leave the circuit as soon as the race finishes. If you do, you’ll be joining most other people and will probably be stuck in traffic jams or queues for hours. Instead plan to spend another couple of hours enjoying the live music, concerts and after parties.
See the full F1 Silverstone schedule for details of all activities and on-track sessions across the weekend.
Fast Track tickets
Fast track tickets for the F1 at Silverstone allow you to gain entry 30 minutes earlier than the normal general admission tickets. If you are dead-set on getting set up at your favourite spot then it’s probably worth paying the extra for one of these tickets at the time of booking your tickets.
Not all of the spectator entrances allow fast track tickets. See our article on Silverstone entrance gates for details of which ones let fast track ticket holders in.
Music concerts
Silverstone has a great line up of music and artists performing during the Grand Prix weekend.
See my full guide to the Silverstone F1 concerts for the full lineup, timetable, stage locations and ticket info.
What to wear
See our article on the Silverstone dress code for detailed information on what to wear.
Can I bring a rucksack in to Silverstone?
You can to bring a rucksack to Silverstone as long as it not over 20 litres capacity.
Whilst all bags are subject to being searched on entry, the exact capacity of it is unlikely to be checked. Just use common sense. Normal size backpacks are fine, and very much recommended to help carry around the rest of the gear you need to bring.
Is there luggage storage at Silverstone?
For safety reasons there is no luggage storage at Silverstone, at the F1 or any other events for general admission ticket holders.
At the MotoGP there will be helmet and leather parks for bikers. These will come with a small cost.
Can I take my own food to Silverstone?
You can to take your own food and drink in to Silverstone. There will be loads of food and drinks vendors on site, but these will be quite pricey. Bringing your own food is a good way to save some money.
“Lunch time” by William Butt is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
No glass bottles or containers are allowed on site, so make sure everything is in plastic containers or tins.
Bring a cool box or bag as well – again the 20 litre limit applies to this. These can sometimes double up quite well as seats. But don’t bring a four-wheel carry trolley for your food / drink – these are on the prohibited items list (see below).
I suggest bringing lots of extra water bottles. There are water refill stations on site but there’s often big queues for these.
Can you take alcohol in to Silverstone?
You can take your own alcohol in to Silverstone circuit, as long as it is a reasonable amount for your own personal consumption.
This isn’t a defined amount, but again just be sensible. If your bag gets searched on the way in and they find 8 litres of Vodka in there, you may well get some of it taken off you. A 6-pack of beer, however, will be fine. As above, no glass bottles are allowed.
There will be numerous bars dotted around throughout the circuit which will be selling (very pricey) alcohol as well.
Should I take a chair to Silverstone?
You absolutely, 100% should take a chair to Silverstone if you have general admission tickets. Ideally a foldable, comfortable camping chair is perfect. Without one you’ll be stood up or uncomfortably sat on the grass all day, with a poor view.
Are dogs allowed at Silverstone?
No dogs, animals or other pets are allowed in to the circuit on in the car park at Silverstone. The only exception to this is registered assistance dogs, in which instance you must contact Silverstone beforehand on enquiries@silverstone.co.uk to make the appropriate arrangements.
Are drones allowed at Silverstone?
During the F1, the Civil Aviation Authority makes the airspace above the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit a no-fly zone. Drones are absolutely not allowed at Silverstone for the F1, and if you are caught attempting to fly one you will have the long arm of the law to deal with.
Are bikes allowed at Silverstone?
Unfortunately bikes are no longer allowed inside the venue for the Silverstone F1. This means you will have to get your steps in and walk around the circuit. But you can ride to the circuit then chain it up on a fence outside.
Can you smoke at Silverstone?
Smoking and vaping is allowed in the open general admission areas at Silverstone. It is prohibited in any grandstands and enclosed areas.
Re-entry
You are allowed to leave and re-enter the circuit during any day over the race weekend. You must make sure the gate staff scan your ticket on the way out, and then again on the way back in. The event programme will list the last re-entry times for each day.
What to bring to Silverstone: the complete list
Here’s a list of things your should consider bringing to Silverstone if you’re a general admission ticket holders. I’ve refined this over many years of visiting cold, wet, windy and ocassionally hot race circuits:
General
- Tickets – Silverstone is going fully digital in 2023, so download the Silverstone Tickets app.
- Money – cards, contactless and cash all worth bringing. There will be a few cash machines dotted around the circuit
- Rucksack (20 litres max)
Weather protection
- Sun cream (even if it’s not sunny it helps stop wind burn)
- UV protection lip balm
- Sun hat / cap
- Sun glasses
- Waterproof everything – jacket / trousers / cagoule, even a waterproof rucksack (or cover) can help keep your belongings dry
- Umbrella
- Warm clothes
- Windproof clothes / snood
- Gloves
- Thick socks
- Waterproof shoes / boots
- Hand warmers
Electronics
- Download the Silverstone Tickets app to get your digital tickets
- Download the Silverstone Events app for maps / timetables of activity across the weekend. Currently this seems to be iOS only.
- Portable radio with headphones so you can tune in to the 5 Live or Radio Silverstone (87.7FM) coverage of the race (PA system at the track isn’t always loud or clear enough). Phone signal can be patchy so don’t rely on being able to get on the 5 Live stream through your phone’s internet. Of all the Silverstone general admission tips on this page this is probably the #1 tip!
- A set of noise cancelling over-ear headphones to go over the top of the in-ear headphones from the radio helps cancel out the noise of the cars so you can hear the commentary more easily.
- Spare batteries for the radio if it’s not rechargeable
- Fully charged phone
- Battery bank / power pack
- Still camera with zoom lens
- Video camera
- Spare camera batteries
- Spare memory cards
Spectating
- Folding camping chair(s) – essential!
- Wind break – one of the tiny tents or single side wind breaks can help, but don’t go too big or you risk taking up spectating room for others. No step ladders or raised platforms allowed.
- Ear plugs or ear defenders, especially for young kids
- Binoculars
- Picnic rug
- Small cushion (equally useful on grandstand seats)
Food / drink
- Refillable water bottle – usually there are taps near the toilet areas, but queues can be long.
- Food – you are allowed to bring your own food in to Silverstone. There are lots of good food vendors, these are often a little pricey, so bringing your own can be cheaper.
- Drinks – You are allowed to bring your own alcohol in to Silverstone, just no glass bottles (applies to non-alcoholic as well). There are a number of bars dotted around the site that will also be selling alcohol.
- Water – pack extra bottles of water if it’s going to be hot
- Electrolyte hydration drinks / tablets / sachets
- Cool box
- Rubbish bag – don’t leave any litter!
- Tissues / wet wipes
Prohibited items
Silverstone have published a pretty comprehensive list of items which you are prohibited from bringing with you in to the circuit. This list is below, as posted on their website, and applies to Silverstone general admission ticket holders and every other type of ticket.
General admission tickets for the MotoGP
The Silverstone general admission tips on this page are also applicable to MotoGP general admission ticket holders.
However the main difference is that for the MotoGP general admission ticket holders also have roving grandstand access to a selection of stands. You won’t have a reserved grandstand seat, instead it will be first-come first-served in the stands you have access to.
Thanks great help!
Glad it was useful Adam
This was an incredibly helpful list of tips and things to bring, thanks!
Glad it was useful Leslie, thanks for the comment!
Gutted. Was looking forward to.bringing my Ltd Edition Lewis Hamilton signed Mercedes samurai sword. Killjoys!
I know sorry Neil, health and safety these days ‘eh…
So does general admission have access to the after party concerts or do we need a separate ticket for that ????
General Admission tickets give you access to the live music in the Fan Zone, such as Jax Jones, Black Eyed Peas and Tom Grennan on the Chrome Main Stage. You don’t have access to the Mahiki Club afterparties (you have to pay more for that).
amazing thank you!!
Silly question but first timer . Only myself and my 11 year old are coming . If we set up our chairs etc can we then leave them to wonder round or do we have to stay put for the day or risk loosing our spot ?
Not a silly question! On the Friday and maybe the Saturday you’ll probably be ok to leave your chairs and come back to them in the same place. But on the Sunday if you’re in a good spot you’ll definitely risk losing it if you leave for a walk around.
My suggestion would be to use the first couple of days to explore and wander around, then pick your favourite spot and plan to stay put there all day on the Sunday (assuming you’re going for the weekend).
Thank you for getting back to me
Hi – thanks for the website – Im curious – even if we leave chairs in a location do people actually move them? I’ve left chairs a music festivals without issues in the past and been able to come back to them. First time at the F1 so trying to guage the sort of people that go!
Hi David. It varies to be honest. I’d say it’s pretty rare, but it can happen.
Im curious how strict they are on the 20L bag rule? I have a 30L bag that Id like to take so I can also carry some camera kit in there. Apart from that, just some snacks really.
Also on the note of the camera kit, do you know if there are any restrictions? I have an entry level DSLR with a zoom lens. Nothing super fancy or high end.
Hi Adam, they don’t have a backpack capacity measurer so I think it’s down to common sense. If your 30L bag looks massive then you risk getting stopped. If it just looks like a good size backpack then you’ll probably be ok. If you’re parking nearby I’d suggesting bringing a spare smaller bag just as a back up, but I think you’ll be ok.
Camera gear – you’re fine to bring as much proper camera kit as you want. Silverstone even encourage it on their article here: https://www.silverstone.co.uk/news/everything-you-need-british-grand-prix
What a simple solution – I feel stupid now. I will be parking there so I will find out quick enough if they deny entry. Tanks!
Hello! What an amazing website, thank you. I would be curious to know when people generally leave from Silverstone on the Saturday. Is there a point in time when the gates close, for example, or when all activity/events die down? Or is transportation the only consideration in taking such a decision? Thank you very much in advance.
Hi Yannis, thanks for your comment! Qualifying on Saturday finishes at 4pm. Driver interviews take place on the Chrome Main Stage from 5:30pm – 7pm. The Black Eyed Peas are on the Chrome Main Stage from 9pm – 10.20pm and the gates close at 11pm. There’s a number of other musical artists and DJs playing after qualifying as well. So if you’re in no rush to get away and the weather’s good, there’ll be plenty to keep you occupied for the evening.
Excellent, thanks for the swift answer!
Can you take a flask with hot water in?
You can bring your own food and drink so it should be fine.
Thanks
Brilliant website. Thanks very much for creating it. My son and I will be firsttime attendees in 2024 and I’m trying to take in as much helpful information as possible. One question I have is; is it possible to purchase numbered reserved grandstand seats for Sunday?
Hi Phil, thanks for the comment! For the GP just gone you could buy 3-day weekend grandstand seats, or grandstand seats just for one day. As an example, a 3-day reserved seat in the Club Corner A grandstand was £689. Reserving a seat in the same grandstand for just the Sunday was still £549.
Silverstone uses dynamic pricing so the more tickets that sell, the more expensive they get. Sign up to their mailing list to make sure you’re up to date with the first releases for the 2024 British GP as the earliest tickets will be the cheapest.
Good advice. Thanks a lot.
Hi again Alex
I have secured tickets for the full weekend and can’t wait. I am trying book a guided tour of the track whilst we’re there but I can’t see who offers that for sale. Any advice is appreciated. Cheers.
Hi Phil, usually track tours are only available as part of the very expensive Paddock Club VIP experience (usually close to £10k per ticket!). Otherwise you won’t be able to get a track tour during the F1 weekend.
Hi Alex
I’m in the process of putting final plans in place for our first trip to the British GP. We are staying in the Travelodge about 3 miles north east of the circuit. I’m trying to find out what transport options I would have. Will most likely walk on the Sunday but wondered if there were any better solutions on the other days? Thanks
Hi Phil. You could try one of the private parking sites near the circuit if you get there early enough (you need to book in advance). More info on these here: https://oversteer48.com/silverstone-parking/
Walking Sunday is probably a great idea to avoid the traffic. Saturday will probably be equally as busy.
Thanks again, Alex. I’ve booked parking on the Thursday and thinking of using taxis on Friday and Saturday. Approximately what time do the concerts finish each night? If the artists come on about a hour after the racing it makes me think they don’t finish much later than 8pm? Also, as we have grandstand tickets it doesn’t feel like we have to be at the circuit at the crack of dawn as you might need to be with GA. Is that fair or is there still a race for the best view locations in the grandstands? Cheer. Phil
Hi Phil, grandstand tickets have reserved seats (except on the ‘roving’ days). The concerts will finish between 10:30 and 11pm. Full timetable here: https://www.silverstone.co.uk/events/formula-1-british-grand-prix/timetable
Hi Alex. I just wanted to say thank you again for all the advice you have provided. We had a brilliant time this year and without a doubt the information you provide on this website made a big contribution to that. Cheers, fella!
Can I buy binoculars at the circuit?
Hi Janette, I’ve never seen binoculars for sale on race day at Silverstone. Better to buy some beforehand.
Great help thank you – any advice on what type of ticket and what area to buy if taking young kids? Unsure if to go grand stand or general admission ? Are you allocated a set seat number in the grandstand or is it first serve ? Am looking to go Friday / Saturday
Hi Natalie. How old are your kids? General Admission will result in more walking around trying to find a spot to sit and watch from. On the Friday that should be ok, Saturday it will be pretty busy so finding a spot will be harder.
If they aren’t the kind of kids that want to walk around then getting a grandstand seat might be a good option. There are two types of tickets available for grandstands – Reserved (where you have a reserved seat all weekend) or Roving (where it’s first come first served on grandstand seats on Friday and Saturday and reserved on Sunday).
Are you looking at doing Friday & Saturday? Or just one of those two? I’m not sure if they’ll offer a Fri+Sat only combo ticket, you may have to get a weekend one and then you could try and sell the Sunday ticket.
If just one of the days then they should release single day tickets soon.
super useful article thank you. Can I ask if there’s many screens from the general admission areas?
Thanks for the comment Jess, glad it has been useful.
Most of the GA areas are in front of grandstands. All the grandstands have screen visibility so generally you can see one from the GA areas too.
Any suggested places to stay the night before ( Camping or B+B ? )
Lots of great campsites within walking distance of the track, and that’s definitely the best way to make the most of the experience.
Full roundup of Silverstone camping here: https://oversteer48.com/camping-at-silverstone/
Alex fantastic website!! I am going with my 16yr old to British GP for the first time in 2024 – we have GA tickets with inner track access – any tips on how to get the best of our inner track access? Thanks!
Thanks for the great tips! Do you still need to go early on Friday to get a decent spot? Or just on Sat/Sun?
Friday is getting busier every year, but it’s still not quite as much of a rush to get a spot then compared to Saturday and Sunday. Unless you’ve been before or already have a spot in mind I’d always recommend using the Friday to walk around and scout out the different spots.
Hi Alex, great website. Very useful information. This will be me & my sons first British grand prix and we are in village b grandstand. What time would you recommend us to get there to take in the atmosphere and get the best out of the day?
Hi Barry, thanks for the comment. How many days are you going for? I’d suggest getting there early, queues to get in will be big and traffic will be heavy so allow a lot of time. If you’re in the venue by around 9:30am then you’ll have plenty of time to take it all in.
Thats great thanks very much Alex!
Thank you Alex for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience. Very useful information. I wish you all the best.
Thanks Ana, have a great race!
Hi mate, taking our F1 mad 6 year old to Friday only this year as it’s first time so thought would just try one day for him. Would you recommend still bringing chairs and setting up somewhere for the day for Friday or is it a bit easier to try different spots. Have general admission tickets. Thank you!
Hi Llandyll, if you’ve got a couple of small, light, foldable chairs I’d recommend bringing them. It’s still good to walk around and try different spots but you’ll get tired of all the walking!