Motorsport meets month of reflection as Silverstone hosts historic Open Iftar
Northamptonshire’s motorsport landmark will swap roaring engines for reflection and community later this month as the Ramadan Tent Project prepares to launch its 2026 festival.
Ramadan Tent Project has announced that Silverstone Circuit will host its first ever Open Iftar on Saturday, February 21, marking what organisers say is the first time a motorsport venue has opened its doors for the breaking of the fast during Ramadan.
The event forms part of Ramadan Festival 2026, now in its 13th year, and will be held under the theme of “Hope”. Open Iftar events are set to take place across eight UK cities in the coming weeks.
Silverstone, which staged the first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950, will welcome local residents and visitors to gather at the circuit for an evening meal at sunset. Stuart Pringle, chief executive officer of Silverstone, said the venue was proud to host its inaugural Open Iftar.
“Silverstone has always been a place where history is made, and we are proud to mark a new and meaningful first,” he said. “Opening our doors during the holy month of Ramadan is a privilege and an opportunity for us to use this iconic space in a different way, centred on community and shared experience.”
The festival will begin the previous evening, Friday, February 20, with an Open Iftar at Banqueting House in London — the first time the 17th-century royal venue has hosted an iftar in more than 400 years.
Further events during the first week include King's College Cambridge and Soho Theatre Walthamstow on Sunday, February 22, alongside gatherings in Bradford and Blackburn.
Omar Salha, founder and chief executive of the Ramadan Tent Project, said the festival had now connected more than one million people nationwide since its inception.
“Hope is what carries communities through challenge and inspires generosity,” he said. “By anchoring this year’s festival in hope, we are inviting people of all faiths and none to imagine and build a future rooted in empathy and shared humanity.”
Additional Open Iftar events will continue into March at venues including Brighton Dome, Shoreditch Town Hall, the National Gallery and Glasgow City Chambers.