Inside the world’s most boring festival where thousands flock to see ‘unexceptional’ cars

Rory McKeown | Assistant editor (news) Published July 28, 2026 12:54pm Updated July 28, 2026 12:54pm The Festival of the Unexceptional features 2,500 cars which were all manufactured between 25 and 50 years ago (Picture: Chris Lowndes/Cover Media) It’s the event where being boring is the whole point. Every year thousands of fans travel from across the world for the Festival of the Unexceptional (FOTU) at Grimsthorpe Castle, in Lincolnshire. Created to champion the most basic cars you can imagine, the grounds are packed with around 2,500 much-loved but largely forgotten family vehicles now rarely seen on Britain’s roads. The event this weekend was in its 12th year and entries must have been manufacturedbetween 25 and 50 years ago to qualify. Fifty are selected to compete for top prize with