Runway to close for international car event on Saturday

The Gibraltar runway will close from 1.30pm-4pm on Saturday afternoon to allow for around 70 high-performance, classic and luxury cars to take part in a private event.

The cars’ arrival on the Rock is part of a four-day event organised by CAVEN called Concurso de Elegancia Costa del Sol, hosted in several nearby locations including Marbella and Málaga.

This is the first time part of event is held in Gibraltar and No.6 Convent Place said it is expected to attract visitors, rare vehicles and leading international brands, while raising Gibraltar’s profile through specialist media coverage.

To facilitate the temporary runway closure, arrangements have been put in place, including free shuttle services available to pedestrians during the event. All cyclists and e-Scooters are to use the Kingsway Tunnel.

The cars’ arrival on the Rock is part of a four-day event called Concurso de Elegancia Costa del Sol in several locations including Marbella and Málaga.

In a statement, the Government said the event is privately organised and funded, with Government’s only role being to support and facilitate coordination with the relevant authorities.

The runway event is taking place within a controlled airport environment and attendance will be by invitation only and subject to safety, security, operational, insurance and capacity requirements.

However, participating vehicles will also be displayed outside the airport for a period and many are expected to be seen driving around Gibraltar.

Public vantage points for the runway track-style drives will include Western Beach, the runway barriers on Winston Churchill Avenue and Princess Caroline’s Battery.

Participating vehicles are divided across six classes: hypercars, post-war classic cars, restomods, vintage supercars, pre-war classic cars and motorsport vehicles.

The collection will include rare, high-performance and luxury vehicles, including some rarely seen on public roads. Gibraltar-registered cars and representatives of the local automotive sector will also participate.

The Government said Gibraltar’s inclusion in this year’s programme was expected to generate activity across accommodation, hospitality, transport and other local services.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: “This is a unique opportunity to bring an internationally recognised automotive event to Gibraltar for the first time.”

“It will attract visitors, exceptional vehicles, leading international brands and specialist media coverage, while providing valuable exposure for Gibraltar.”

“We recognise that the temporary closure arrangements will cause some inconvenience. Every effort has therefore been made to minimise disruption, including the provision of free shuttle services for pedestrians.”

“Although attendance at the runway element must necessarily be restricted for safety, security and operational reasons, members of the public will have an opportunity to see the participating vehicles outside the airport, on our roads, and from vantage points around Gibraltar.”

“The event offers important promotional, tourism, charitable and economic benefits for Gibraltar and further demonstrates our ability to host distinctive international events and is part of our event-led tourism strategy,” he added.