Why Speed Festival 2026 did not take place and what we are preparing next
We had to cancel Speed Festival 2026 shortly before it was scheduled to take place. It was a difficult decision, prompted by major obstacles in preparing the racing component and funding that had not been fully secured. We did not want to hold an edition that would fall short of the expectations of visitors, partners or the organising team itself. We apologise to everyone affected for the complications.
During 2026, Speed Festival underwent a change of ownership. The transition took more than six months and was only completed before the summer. Some members of the original team continued to be involved in the preparations, and at that time we believed that the festival could take place on the planned dates and at the planned scale.
However, approximately two weeks before the event, several major problems became apparent. Alongside a shortfall in funding, these were primarily production and organisational obstacles that prevented us from preparing the race in its intended form. We believed that we could still secure the necessary funds, but securing the remaining funding alone would not have resolved the situation.
The racing component is essential to Speed Festival. Without it, we could not offer the event we had been preparing and that visitors and partners expected from us. We therefore decided not to hold the 2026 edition and to focus on preparing the festival for 2027.
By the time this decision was made, more than twenty people were already working on the preparations, and substantial resources and a great deal of time had been invested. We also knew that our partners, sponsors, participants and other collaborators were preparing for the festival. The cancellation affected several hundred people and brought costs and complications for both the organisers and others involved.
Nevertheless, we considered it more responsible to stop the festival than to hold it on a significantly reduced scale. We wanted to preserve its good reputation and the trust of the people who invest their time, work and resources in it.
We sincerely apologise to everyone affected by the cancellation. We recognise that such a late decision disrupted your plans and caused practical difficulties for many of you.
We also thank you for the support we received even in this difficult situation. We thank our loyal fans, partners, sponsors and the city of Česká Lípa, which stood by us until the very last moment. We greatly appreciate the encouraging responses and the wishes for Speed Festival to return the following year.
We are already preparing Speed Festival 2027 with a fresh new look. The changes also include a new website, intended to provide clearer information and take the festival’s presentation forward. We are applying the experience gained from this year’s preparations to the organisation of the next edition.
Thank you for staying with Speed Festival. We look forward to seeing you in 2027.