The biggest Bus Festival in the Midlands announced, with over 100 heritage vehicles expected to attend

Credit: GCR

A major new event celebrating the history and heritage of bus transport is set to take place in the Midlands, with the Midlands Bus Festival coming to the Great Central Railway and Great Central Railway Nottingham on 8th–9th May 2027.

Organised jointly by the Great Central Railway, Great Central Railway Nottingham, Leicestershire Transport Heritage Trust and Nottingham Area Bus Society, the festival aims to become the biggest gathering of buses and bus preservation vehicles in the Midlands.

More than 100 vehicles are expected to attend at both Quorn Yard at Quorn and Woodhouse Station and Ruddington Fields, with buses not only on static display but also taking to the road throughout the weekend as part of an extensive programme of passenger rides.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a range of routes connecting the Great Central Railway and GCRN, alongside services operating around the local area, offering the opportunity to experience a wide variety of preserved buses in action.

The event is expected to attract bus enthusiasts, preservation groups, vehicle owners and visitors from across the region and beyond.

With preparations already underway, organisers are encouraging everyone to save the date for 8th–9th May 2027, with further information about participating vehicles, routes, tickets and the full event programme to be announced over the coming months.

Malcolm Holmes, General Manager at Great Central Railway said “We’re incredibly excited to be planning what we hope will be one of the biggest bus gatherings the Midlands has ever seen, a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the region’s rich bus heritage on a truly impressive scale.

“We’re now inviting owners and preservation groups to get involved and help us make the event as spectacular as possible. If you have a bus or heritage vehicle that you’d like to feature, we’d love to hear from you at buses @ gcrailway.co.uk.”

Further event details will be released in due course. Follow the Great Central Railway and the participating organisations on social media for the latest announcements or visit www.gcrailway.co.uk