MG fans will be without a major summer event at Silverstone for the first time in nearly 70 years, following the news that MGLive! has been rested for 2019. Last month, the Northamptonshire circuit announced it would be carrying out essential track maintenance during June 2019, leaving the MG Car Club without a venue or date for its flagship annual event. Sadly, despite exploring options for a new location, the club has ultimately been forced to cancel this summer’s show.
MGLive! is a meeting steeped in history, with the club’s annual national event having taken place at Silverstone every summer for the past 68 years. The club has spent the past weeks extensively researching new venues and dates, but no feasible alternatives have arisen that would allow it to keep the key show features and maintain the arrangements already in place.
All ticket holders for 2019 will be contacted directly by the club and issued full refunds. This is automatic process and should be complete by April 15. This club is requesting that ticket holders do not make direct contact with the club but wait to be contacted so that the refund process is carried out as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Adam Sloman, General Manager of MG Car Club, commented: “We are very sorry to be updating everyone with such disappointing news. It has been incredibly challenging to find a venue that has capacity to hold a race and/or entertainment event in the peak of the season, with the capability to put on a large scale event in such a challengingly tight timeframe. We’ve spoken to a number of venues; and it has become very clear that moving the entire event at short notice just isn’t possible.
“It is such a shame, with so many members and classic car enthusiasts purchasing tickets in advance in record numbers. We are deeply sorry to all of those ticket holders who had supported the Club and event, and they will all be refunded very soon.
“We’d also like to thank the members of the Club for their overwhelming support and all their many suggestions of venues and introductions to venues up and down the country. The support from venues, classic car events and the classic car community has been truly awe-inspiring and all we can say is we are incredibly grateful to everyone involved.
“Although we are bitterly disappointed that MGLive! isn’t going ahead, there’s still plenty for MG Car Club members and MG fans in general to look forward to this summer. Our local centres and model registers offer up a massive selection of brilliant events and we’re hoping to get as many people to Kimber House as possible across the summer months. Keep an eye on the Club’s website for all the latest events across the UK and Europe.”
The club is planning to regroup and refocus efforts for 2020 into a new format International MG meeting, keeping the best elements of MGLive! but bringing in some fresh, new ideas to widen the event’s appeal. See www.mgcc.co.uk for all the latest updates.
