Days Out NI
Motorsport Kirkistown

Kirkistown Race Circuit Trackday

NI's only permanent race circuit — watch the racing free, or bring your own car for a trackday.

5 photos
Race daysCheck the race calendar
To watchBook ahead
KirkistownMotorsport
Get directionsOfficial website
Per sessionTo watch
Not confirmed f…Min age
OutdoorTrack
WatchYou
FreeParking

Kirkistown Race Circuit Trackday — NI's only permanent race circuit — watch the racing free, or bring your own car for a trackday.

  • What it is: Outdoor motorsport circuit — race meetings to watch, plus own-vehicle trackdays via separate operators.
  • Drive or watch: Mostly watch (race meetings); you can drive/ride on pre-booked trackdays in your own car or bike.
  • Minimum age / height: Not confirmed for trackdays — check with the trackday operator.
  • Cost: Check current prices — admission and trackday prices vary by event.
  • Booking: Spectating at race meetings runs to a fixture calendar; trackdays must be pre-booked with Trackskills (cars) or Kirkistown Track Days (bikes).
  • Also on site: Bar with track views, cafeteria open at most events, toilets and showers.
Plan your visit

Watch the racing — or bring your own car

Kirkistown's main calendar is racing to watch. The 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland runs around seven car race meetings a year here, plus four sprints and a single-venue rally, with classes including saloons, GTs, Formula Sheane, FF1600, Kirkistown Minis and Fiestas, MX5s and superkarts. The Belfast & District Motor Club also brings motorbike meetings, with the Easter Monday meeting one of the biggest crowds of the year. If you'd rather drive than watch, the circuit doesn't run driving experiences — but Trackskills run car trackdays here (about a dozen track days a year are held at the circuit) where you take your own road or track car out, and Kirkistown Track Days run motorcycle days. Those are booked directly with the operator and carry their own age, experience and licence rules, so check with them before booking.

Spectator circuit Car & bike race meetings Own-car trackdays (book ahead) Outdoor — check fixtures Bar & cafeteria Free parking
Good to know before you go:

Circuits like Kirkistown run race meetings, sprints, rallies and trackdays to a seasonal calendar — spectator days, plus own-vehicle trackdays run by separate operators. Fixtures, sessions and prices change through the year, so check the circuit's and operators' own pages for current dates and costs.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🏁Trackside excitementThe roar, the smell of it, the photo finish — bring the whole family.
  • 🎧Ear defenders for little onesRace engines are LOUD — small ears will thank you.
  • 🧥Warm layers & a chairYou’re outdoors trackside — wrap up and bring something to sit on.
  • 💷A bit of cashFor entry, the burger van and a programme on the day.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
Outdoor motorsport circuit — race meetings to watch, plus own-vehicle trackdays via separate operators
Do or watch
Mostly watch (race meetings); you can drive/ride on pre-booked trackdays in your own car or bike
Minimum age / height
Not confirmed for trackdays — check with the trackday operator
Licence needed
Yes for trackdays (you drive your own road/track car or bike) — confirm with the operator
Booking
Spectating at race meetings runs to a fixture calendar; trackdays must be pre-booked with Trackskills (cars) or Kirkistown Track Days (bikes)
Cost
Check current prices — admission and trackday prices vary by event
Indoor / outdoor
Outdoor — weather and fixture dependent, check the calendar
Also on site
Bar with track views, cafeteria open at most events, toilets and showers
Parking
Free parking on site
Address
130 Rubane Road, Kircubbin, Co. Down, BT22 1AU
Questions

Before you go

What age or height do you need to be?
Not confirmed for trackdays — check with the trackday operator
How much does it cost?
Check current prices — admission and trackday prices vary by event
Do I need to book?
Spectating at race meetings runs to a fixture calendar; trackdays must be pre-booked with Trackskills (cars) or Kirkistown Track Days (bikes)
Is it indoor or outdoor?
Outdoor — weather and fixture dependent, check the calendar
Do I need a driving licence?
Yes for trackdays (you drive your own road/track car or bike) — confirm with the operator
Getting there

Kirkistown Race Circuit Trackday is at 130 Rubane Road, Kircubbin, Co. Down, BT22 1AU. Free parking on site. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around KirkistownSee what else is close by More karting & motorsport across NITracks, ovals and adrenaline days
The story

About the venue

Kirkistown is Northern Ireland's only permanent motor-racing circuit, laid out on the site of the former RAF Kirkistown airfield between Kirkistown and Portavogie on the Ards Peninsula. It was opened in 1953 by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland, which still owns and runs the circuit today.

Decades of steady development have given it permanent pit and paddock buildings, a clubhouse and a bar overlooking much of the track. It's known for a packed season of car, kart and motorbike racing, with the Belfast & District Motor Club's Easter Monday motorbike meeting among the biggest dates of the year.