Gloucester Goes Retro 2026: A Classic Car Show & Festival

Gloucester Goes Retro is a fantastic classic car show and retro festival held in the city. Each area of the city covers a different era of automobile history, with lots of vehicles to see. Gloucester Goes Retro locations include the historic docks, the city centre gate streets and the cathedral.

It’s a fun, popular event, with visitors from all over mooching around the classic cars, bikes, and other vehicles. There were lots of fun things happening, including live music on the docks, people in costumes and cars to see. The city’s pubs and restaurants embraced the festival and were a hive of activity.

When’s the 2026 Car Show?

Gloucester Goes Retro is a fun event for people of all ages and takes place annually. For more information about their next event on Saturday, 29 August 2026, see their Facebook page or website.

My Visit To Gloucester Goes Retro With the Dog

The dog and I visited Gloucester Goes Retro for a day out in the city, with lots of refreshment stops in the dog-friendly pubs. The dog wasn’t into the retro vibe; however, he loved meeting many other dogs outside.

We visited all areas of the city to have a mooch around the old cars and trucks. We also enjoyed the entertainment, especially the jive dancing at the docks.

Gloucester Docks

Visiting the docks was rather fun, and there were many interesting things to see. The docks are always a great backdrop for events, and the concert was no different.

The docks had a stage with live retro music playing. The performance included music from the 1930s through to the 1960s. When we were there, the event was in full swing, with swing music playing and many people enjoying the dance. The dog needed a drink, so I popped into Greek on the Docks for a drink for both of us. I wanted some German beer and knew they served Erdinger, one of my favourites. As usual, the outside seating area has some superb views.

They also had lots of military vehicles at the docks, which were fascinating to see. Many of these were in the “Imjin Village”, which was created to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Imjin in the Korean War. This was mainly near the Soldiers of Gloucester Museum.

The docks also had an eclectic mix of vehicles, including some rather nice trucks and scooters.

Gloucester Cathedral

The cathedral grounds also had some rather nice cars to see, along with people in period attire. The cathedral organ also played some music from the era.

Southgate Street: 1970s & 1980s Retro

The retro cars of the 70s and 80s dominated Southgate Street in Gloucester, including some fun-looking cars. This included many classic sports cars of the era, many of which I have seen on the big screen.

Some particularly impressive Ferrari and Morgan cars were on show here. These were popular with people who stopped to look and got their photograph taken with them.

They also had an American police car from the era on display. Café Rene was my choice for a break from the crowds while perusing Southgate Street. They have a lovely garden, which is ideal on a sunny day.

Westgate Street Cars Show 1900-1949

They turned Westgate Street into a museum featuring cars and other vehicles from the early 20th century. It had exhibits from between 1900 and 1949. They were lovely to look at, including some early convertible cars.

They also had a lovely police car from the era, with an officer in period attire. In Westgate Street we popped into the tiny but bustling Angie’s Bar for a drink.

Northgate Street, 1950s

Northgate Street in Gloucester was home to some very stylish 1950s cars, including a rather nice Morgan. They also had some other classic retro cars on display. The New Inn pub’s beer garden was rather vibrant and great fun to have a break from retro.

Eastgate Street, 1960s

Finally, Eastgate Street was dedicated to 1960s cars, an era renowned for iconic designs. They had Minis, Morgans, Jaguars and more here.

Review of Gloucester Goes Retro

I thoroughly enjoyed the Gloucester Goes Retro event, and it was well done and an exceptional event for the city, much like the Tall Ships Festival. The city really was bustling, and the exhibits and entertainment were great. It was also a great place to take the dog, especially with the usual dog-friendly bars being open during the festivities.