The Classic Days is a lifestyle and mobility festival located at the Parking P1 "Green Park" at the Exhibition Centre in Düsseldorf, Germany. The style of the event is similar to UK's Goodwood Revival event, where people dress in a vintage look which is true to the era. The events boast a big diversity of historical and classic vehicles from motorbikes to full-sized trucks.
The Location
In 2022 the Festival was newly held at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centres Parking P1, also known as Green Park. The event was hosted already 14 times from 2006 - 2019 at Schloss Dyck South-West of Düsseldorf. Due to logistical difficulties and contract issues, the event had to relocate to the new place at the Messe Düsseldorf parking. But the Classic Days festival which had to shut down during the pandemic was a great success in 2022.
The Messe Parking P1 was converted to amazing festival grounds, which featured a racing track, paddocks, club meetings, food stalls and much more entertainment. Parking was available around the event but was charged for by the authorised Düsseldorf exhibition grounds owner. You can find free parking along the Messe tram lines U78 and U79. Along the U79 line towards the north is a convenient free 24h parking called Dreieckparkplatz. It is close to the station Klemensplatz. The trams frequent all 15 minutes and are not crowded. The exhibition area can then be reached within a 15-minute tram ride. If you own a car that is a classic and older than 30 years you can park for free directly on the festival grounds. After the event, it's a great activity to run down to the Düsseldorf City Centre with the Tram Line and experience the nightlife.
The Themes
The Festival boasts many different themes and there is something for everyone's taste. The event is grouped into topics and for 2022 these were: Nostalgic Journey = Historic camper vans
Lovely Heroes = Vehicles from the economic boom
Charme & Style = Nostalgic-romantic picnic
Made in Germany = Historic advertising vehicles
Racing Legends = Paddock with racing cars from all decades
Experience Walk with historical busses and trucks
Car Walk = A moderated stage where classics are being presented
Land Rover Meetup
Stars & Stripes = US life and drive style
California Dreaming = Lifestyle and Hippe Rides
Movie Cars and DeLorean Meetup
Central Square = Shops and Merchandise
Classic Club Meeting
Aside from these main themes, there were many different stalls selling merchandise, food, drinks and other forms of entertainment such as Bumper cars and a Kasperle theatre.
The Club Meetings
The classic days featured a big selection of classic clubs which were located at the end of the festival grounds. Around 7'000 cars and their owners showed up and presented their special and historic vehicles. Clubs such as the Alfaclub, BMW Z1 and 02, Caterham, Corvette, Iso Bizzarrini, Lancia, Mercedes and Jaguar showed up with remarkable cars in pristine condition. The owners showed and explained their cars to the visitors.
The Track
The track runs on the road which is normally used by cars to get to and from the parking spaces. It is prepared with bales of straw, fences and a few chicaneries. Since the track is not secure enough for a real race there is a speed limit and the runs are not timed. It's more about the experience such as the sound and the drive-bys by all the racing cars. The good thing about it is that you can be very close to the track to see the racers. It's also possible to stop on top of the two bridges which lead to the paddock to take a video. The track itself is around 2 kilometres long and the racecars do several fast-paced laps on it.
Here is a video of a few historical F1 cars doing laps on the racetrack. You can experience the cars close up directly behind a small fence which is not crowded at all. The cars are doing fast-paced laps.
Tickets & Days
The Classic Days Düsseldorf were held from Friday to Sunday on the 5 - 7 of August 2022 and tickets started at €19 for a day's admission. Queues were short and the event wasn't overcrowded making it an enjoyable experience for the entire family. According to the event organiser, there are 40'000 visitors but they all spread over a very big area and it never felt too crowded. But you do have to expect some queues at the food stalls. Also, bring enough cash since most food, drink and merchandise shops don't accept card payments. The size is just right to see everything in one full day, although if you want to discover every detail an additional day is recommended. Lastly, keep in mind that there is a dress code which means that you are supposed to show up in a vintage outfit. But of course, this is not enforced and they grant entry to everyone. Dressing up seemed more for the enthusiasts and many visitors showed in normal street clothes.
Gallery
Check out the photo gallery with some of the pictures I took during the 2022 event.
Nils Willner
Nils is a Swiss-German engineer who is obsessed with old cars and engines. He is the author of "The Ultimate Classic Car Guide - How to Buy, Maintain & Repair Classic Cars" and the founder of EVC. My passion has always been with old cars and everything that has wheels and an engine.