Monday February 17, 2020 at 11:46am
An undoubted highlight of the on and off track entertainment at the 2020 Classic TT presented by Bennetts will be the Festival in a Day over the UK bank holiday weekend. Held on Sunday 30 August in the TT Fan Park, this brand-new free event offers a heady mix of fabulous biking nostalgia, sporting history, music, film and entertainment.
Just one of the big draws for all motorcycling fans will be the live stream of the British MotoGP, whilst the big screen will also be showing a superb double bill of films celebrating the life and career of the legendary John Surtees. Making up part of our series, Breakfast by the Big Screen, early birds will be richly rewarded by this intimate and enthralling portrait of a true champion who survived and succeeded in an era when death and injury were an ever-present danger in racing.
The films are just part of the weekend’s activities celebrating the life and career of the racing legend with some of John’s closest family and friends not only featuring here, but attending the Classic TT in 2020 to help pay tribute to this remarkable man. As guests of honour this year, they will be joining TT legend Charlie Williams in the afternoon for a very special round of chat and fascinating insight.
Meanwhile, our TT Fan Park presenter and full-time vlogger, Chris Pritchard, will be welcoming many more famous faces to the stage as the riders still racing at the sharp end join Chris for The Rider’s Show. Lifting the lid on the week’s racing, the current stars of the TT need little excuse to let their hair down, and the Classic TT has long proven to be the place for everyone to have a bit of fun.
Between the chat and the biking action, there’s also a packed schedule of retro-inspired live music to keep the day rocking. Fuelled by the incredible talents of guitarist Marcus Bonfanti, the music stage bursts into life with a jump-jiving set by The Delta Trio. There’s more from Marcus later too, as he’s joined by boogie piano sensation Paddy Milner and his Jawbone bandmates for a stellar set of Woodstock influenced rockers. And if that wasn’t enough, top live outfit, Wille & The Bandits, will also be flying in specially to bring their Zeppelin-esque riffs and Floydian soundscapes to the TT Fan Park.
The evening has much to offer too, as The Smoking Guns take over for a feature length set spinning Northern Soul, classic funk and vintage R&B. Fans can also take their drinks and snacks over to the big screen for the night’s Sundown Cinema feature, Stand by Me. Boasting an all-star cast, this classic adventure story based on a Stephen King novella is a much loved movie that only gets better with age.
For more information about the 2020 Classic TT Races go to iomttraces.com