Goodwood will honour British motorcycle World Champion Barry Sheene across all three of its flagship motorsport events in 2026, marking the 50th anniversary of his first 500cc World Championship title. It is the first time the estate has dedicated its entire season to a single rider or driver.
Sheene won back-to-back titles in the premier 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix category in 1976 and 1977 with Suzuki. He remains the last Briton to claim the championship in the sport’s top class.
The tributes will begin at the 83rd Members’ Meeting (18-19 April), continue at the Festival of Speed (9-12 July) and conclude at the Goodwood Revival (18-20 September).
‘Barry Sheene was an absolute force of nature,’ said the Duke of Richmond. ‘It was the strength of his personality off the track – warm, cheeky and irreverent in equal measure – and his extraordinary ability to recover from injury that made him a global superstar.’
The Members’ Meeting will open the celebrations with up to 30 500cc Grand Prix motorcycles raced by Sheene showcased in on-track parades, alongside a tribute to 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt.
At the Festival of Speed, 10 of Sheene’s Grand Prix bikes will tackle the hillclimb in a dedicated class. His son, Freddie Sheene, is set to ride several of his father’s former machines.
The Revival will display Sheene’s championship-winning Suzukis ahead of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy races for motorcycles that competed between 1948 and 1966.
‘Barry raced many times at Goodwood and won his final race here in 2002, just months before he sadly succumbed to cancer at the age of 52,’ the Duke added. ‘The Revival’s bike race was renamed in his honour the following year. I am delighted that we will be celebrating his unique life across all three events in 2026, on the 50th anniversary of his first World Championship.’
Further details will be announced in the coming months. Tickets for all three events are on sale now via goodwood.com.
