Formula E’s fan experience: racing, music, and festival atmosphere at Excel
Formula E returns to ExCeL London this August for its biggest weekend of the year.
Twenty all-electric cars will race through the venue on 15-16 August, on a track that runs both indoors and outdoors, the only one of its kind in top-level motorsport.
The championship will be decided that weekend, live in front of the home crowd.
Alongside the racing, the event includes live music, food stalls and driver meet-and-greets in the Fan Village.
Here’s what first-time visitors need to know.
The racing: a track unlike any other
Cars start inside ExCeL’s exhibition halls, on a smooth, high-grip surface.
They punch through a tight sequence of corners, then cross a strip of slippery metal.
From there, it’s straight out into daylight, onto abrasive tarmac running along the Royal Victoria Dock.
A flowing run of chicanes gives drivers their best chance to overtake, before a twisty section leads them back indoors to finish the lap.
Drivers have called the grip change between the two surfaces one of the trickiest adjustments in the championship.
The 2026 race carries extra weight. It’s the season finale. It’s also the last race of the current GEN3-era cars before Formula E’s next generation of machinery arrives.
And it’s Formula E’s final scheduled weekend at ExCeL. The series moves to a new UK venue from 2027.
This will be the sixth consecutive year Formula E has raced at ExCeL, since the circuit’s debut as a double-header in 2021, making 2026 the closing chapter of a five-year run at the venue rather than a first-time or untested setup.
Whoever leads after Sunday’s race becomes champion, on the spot, in front of the home crowd.
When it’s on, and how to get there
Gates open at 8am on both days.
Practice and qualifying run through the morning. The main race follows in the afternoon. Both days wrap by around 6.30pm.
The venue is ExCeL London, Royal Victoria Dock, in the Docklands.
The quickest way in is the Elizabeth line or DLR to Custom House, right by the venue’s west entrance.
Driving in? Be aware Sandstone Lane and Seagull Lane, which run through the campus, are closed for the event. Build in extra time.
Tickets start from £20 for general entry. The event has sold out in previous years, so book ahead rather than risk it on the day.
The Fan Village: the festival part of the weekend
Away from the track, Formula E runs the Allianz Fan Village, and for many fans, this is the main event.
Expect live music stages. A gaming and simulator arena, where you can try an E-Prix lap yourself. Driver meet-and-greets and autograph sessions. A dedicated kids’ zone, with a mini driving school and face painting.
There’s also a rotating line-up of street food stalls and international food courts between sessions.
The idea is simple: there’s no dead time. Whether or not cars are on track, something is happening in the Fan Village.
Most first-timers split their day between watching the racing and exploring the village. That’s by design, not a fallback for missing the action.
Safety measures on site
Security checks at the gates are thorough. Travel light.
A phone, wallet and your e-ticket are genuinely all you need, anything extra just slows you down at the entrance.
Expect bag searches, a no-large-bags policy, and visible security throughout the indoor halls and outdoor track sections.
ExCeL London is a permanent venue with its own published safeguarding policy and dedicated in-house security team, who run a formal threat assessment for every event held on site in collaboration with event organisers and the relevant authorities, this isn’t a temporary, one-off security setup assembled just for race weekend (ExCeL London, Your Safety at the Venue; ExCeL London, Safeguarding Policy).
The race itself runs to FIA-regulated motorsport safety standards, barriers, marshal posts and medical response are standard for any world championship event.
The on-track layout itself has evolved with safety in mind, too: after its 2021 debut season, organisers redesigned part of the circuit, replacing a double-hairpin section that had been the site of several incidents with a chicane, a change made specifically in response to that first year’s racing.
Because ExCeL is a permanent, staffed exhibition venue rather than a temporary street closure, medical access is simpler than at a pure street circuit.
The venue is fully wheelchair-accessible. The event is suitable for all ages, but anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
One more tip: agree a meeting point with your group before you go in. The Fan Village gets busy, and phone signal isn’t guaranteed. The official Formula E London app carries live timings and on-site maps, which helps if you do get separated.
<H2> Tips for first-timers
- Arrive early. Gates open hours before the headline race. Getting there early means shorter queues and more time in the Fan Village.
- Dress for changeable weather. Light, waterproof layers are the sensible choice, you’ll move between indoor halls and an open dockside track, and August weather can shift fast.
- Don’t skip the indoor section. It’s tempting to head straight for the open-air dock area, but the indoor hall gives you the closest, loudest view of the cars, and the only place to watch that surface change up close.
- Check the schedule first. Practice, qualifying and the race are spread across the day. Know the timings before you queue for food, so you don’t miss the session you came for.
Frequently asked questions
Is Formula E’s London E-Prix worth going to if you’re not a motorsport fan?
Yes. The event is built around the Fan Village as much as the racing, live music, a gaming and simulator arena, street food and driver meet-and-greets run throughout both days. Many attendees split their time between the track and the entertainment zone. There’s always something happening, even between racing sessions, which makes the weekend accessible to people coming mainly for the atmosphere.
Is the London E-Prix at ExCeL safe?
Yes. As a major, ticketed exhibition-centre event, it runs on thorough entry security checks, FIA-mandated motorsport safety standards on track, and permanent venue infrastructure rather than a temporary street closure, which simplifies crowd and medical management. Standard event precautions apply: expect bag searches, keep valuables secure in the busier parts of the Fan Village, and agree a meeting point with your group. The venue is fully wheelchair-accessible and suitable for all ages, with under-16s required to be accompanied by an adult.
<H3> What makes the ExCeL circuit different from other Formula E tracks?
It’s the only circuit in top-level international motorsport that runs both indoors and outdoors on the same lap. Cars start on a smooth, high-grip surface inside ExCeL’s exhibition halls, cross a strip of slippery metal, then head outside onto abrasive dockside tarmac before returning indoors to finish. Drivers rate the grip and surface change among the trickiest adjustments in the championship calendar.
The London E-Prix doesn’t ask you to choose between motorsport and festival. It gives you both, on the same ticket.
2026 marks both the championship finale and Formula E’s last scheduled weekend at ExCeL. For a first-timer, it’s a good moment to see what the noise is about, indoors and out.