Everything you need to know about the all-new GT Festival

The SRO-promoted event across August 23-25, will feature Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS and the Monochrome GT4 Australia Series, as well as Australian Production Cars. Spectators will have free entry across the entire weekend.

The exotic makes racing include Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, Audi, Aston Martin and Porsche, and there will be a driver line-up that include of some of the best in Australia motorsport.

Supercar stars such as Will Brown, Chaz Mostert, Jackson Evans, Declan Fraser and Jayden Ojeda will line up against the internationally credited likes of David Brabham, Brendon Leitch and Alex Peroni in GT3.

Meanwhile GT4 will see multiple category champion John Bowe, TCR racers Luke King and Lachlan Mineeff, Bathurst winner Paul Morris and his son Nash, George Miedecke, and young guns Rylan Gray, Ryder Quinn and Alex Gardner go head-to-head.

“We really want to make the inaugural GT Festival as accessible to the fans as possible,” said SRO Motorsports Australia CEO Ben McMellan.

“This is the first time that SRO Motorsports Australia has promoted our own event. We know we have a great racing product, and we want as many people [as possible] there to see it live.

“There is just no better place to hold a GT event than at Phillip Island. The track suits the cars, and the teams and drivers love going there.”

The festival will get underway on Thursday at the San Remo Campus of Bass Coast College where a selection of cars from each category will undertake a scenic drive to Phillip Island.

After the students get up close and personal the cars will depart at 11:30am AEST and drive across the San Remo bridge past Newhaven, Cap Woolamai, Surf Beach, and Smiths Beach before the reach the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit at 11:45am.

Track activity kicks off on Friday at 9:00am. There will be three practice sessions for Fanatec GT and three for Monochrome GT4 plus a pre-qualifier. There will also be two sessions for Production Cars.

On Saturday Fanatec GT will also have pre-qualifying which starts at 9:10am. Qualifying is at 12:10pm with two sessions, one for each driver. At 3:50pm, the first of two on-hour races will begin, the second of which is on Sunday at 12:50pm.

Monochrome GT4 qualifying is in a similar manner and begins at 11:30am Saturday. The first one-hour race is scheduled for 2:20pm with the second at 11:10am on Sunday.

The weather forecast is suggesting it may be somewhat windy across both days of the weekend but also is not likely to be as cold as Phillip Island can be. Friday is predicted to be overcast and around 17 degrees with 18 and 19 on Saturday and Sunday.

How much is spectator entry?

Spectator entry across all three days is free with access to pit lane

How to watch the GT Festival

The broadcast will be live on Foxtel and Kayo as well as on the GT World YouTube Channel.

Expanded coverage has also been confirmed with podium presentations and post-race interviews part of the program.

When does live coverage start?

The AVE-produced broadcast coverage on Saturday will begin at 2:15pm and conclude at 5:00pm.

Sunday’s coverage will start at 11:00am AEST and finish at 2:00pm.

Friday GT Festival schedule

Saturday GT Festival schedule

Sunday GT Festival schedule

Where is the GT Festival being held?

The inaugural GT Festival takes place at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, home to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS entry list

Monochrome GT4 Australia entry list