Looking for something different and special to do this holiday season with your family? Why not check out Silverstone’s Lap of Lights Christmas 2021, which runs from now till 3rd January 2022 (closed on 29, 30 November and 25 December). Don’t miss out on driving on the iconic Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit in the UK!
We were so thrilled to be part of their official opening evening and managed to catch a glimpse of the World Championship winning Mercedes-AMG Petronas W10 Formula 1 car driven by Anthony Davidson. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas team decorated the car with festive lights which caused quite a spectacle for the media, NHS and Emergency Service employees and their families as well as Silverstone’s staff at the preview event.
This was our first experience of the Lap of Lights but we have been to the Silverstone Experience visitor attraction before. We are massive fans of Formula 1 and it is a fantastic bucket list item ticked to visit and drive on the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit!
Lap of Lights features over 440 laser beams and 400,000 festive lights through the circuit and promises to be even better than last year. There are two routes to choose from, either a “naughty” route or a “nice” route (the track is split in half with cones). There is not a big difference with both routes with the nice route following the inside of the track and the naughty route following the outside of the track. Of course, we went for the naughty route and there were slightly more decorations placed on the outside of the track.
They also suggest tuning into their 87.7FM radio station to listen to their festive songs and get you into the Christmas mood! We all love the laser beam lighting and the smoke effects, and do wish there were more of these as were quite spectacular! I did think that between each theme/zone they could have placed more lightings and decorations to keep us entertained. Everyone drives slowly to enjoy the view of the lights and if you have a convertible/cabriolet, having the top down would give you an even better, unobscured view! Do look out for Father Christmas at the end of your festive drive! The Lap of Lights ticket prices starts at £30 per car including all occupants.
New for this year is that visitors will be able to leave their cars after the drive to visit the Silverstone Wing! They have transformed it into an atmospheric alpine lodge and features the first-ever skating rink to appear at the world-famous motor racing circuit.
The Lodge is free to enter with a Lap of Lights ticket, where families can enjoy fun activities such as axe throwing (need to purchase tickets), curling (need to purchase tickets), musical entertainment, the children’s cinema at the back and Santa letter corner! You can also purchase food and drink via their app to save you from queuing.
The illuminated rink Ice Trak is built in and around the Formula 1 garages and pit lane. The ticket price starts from £8 for adults and £6 per child and renting a child penguin costs £5. It’s a great rink, especially it is made from real ice and not cheap plastic flooring as we’ve seen in other places. The rink circles to the outdoor area and we all had fun! It is one of the best experiences there. I would recommend trying it out!
There are many activities to do around Silverstone and it’s a great way to spend an evening! To book your tickets, visit www.silverstone.co.uk
Disclosure: We were invited to visit Silverstone for the purposes of writing this review, however, all thoughts and opinions remain our own. Images used with permission.