For three days in September, Hampton Court Palace’s gardens hosted the 2026 Concours of Elegance. Eighty cars formed the heart of the event, but there was plenty to see beyond them: car club displays, makers and exhibitors, places to stop for lunch, and the palace itself rising above it all. Hildon returned as Official Water Partner for the second year.

The setting is difficult to separate from the occasion. The Great Fountain Garden was laid out in the late 17th Century for William III and Mary II, to complement the palace’s new baroque East Front. Its fountains and radiating avenues of yew trees were designed to impress. Opened to the public in 1838 on Queen Victoria’s orders, the garden has welcomed generations of visitors since. During the Concours, its broad paths and lawns gave people space to wander between displays, or simply step back and take in the view. Friday’s Grand Arrival gave the weekend an opening worth watching. One by one, the main Concours cars drove into the gardens and around the central fountain. It was a chance to hear them running and see their proportions in motion before they took their places on display. The collection reached across more than a century of motoring, from pre-war racing cars to recent models produced in tiny numbers. 

Among them was the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 710 SSK Rennwagen, which went on to win Best in Show. Its history stretches well beyond the show circuit. Built for competition, it raced in South America for decades before later appearing in historic competition in North America. Hampton Court was its first appearance at an event in the UK. At the Concours, Best in Show is chosen by the owners of the other main entrants, making the award a judgement from people who know these cars closely.

Elsewhere, the 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato drew attention for its combination of British engineering and Italian coachwork, winning both its decade category and the Finest Aston Martin award. A 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B took the 1930s category, while the 2012 Aston Martin One-77 won Future Classics. Seen together, they made an absorbing display even for visitors who could not name every model. You could follow the changing shapes and ideas through the decades, then stop when a particular car caught your eye.

There were more cars beyond the central collection. Clubs brought their members’ vehicles into the grounds, offering visitors the chance to talk to owners and hear the histories behind cars that are still driven and enjoyed. The Club Trophy went to a 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV Coupé, earning it a place in next year’s main Concours. The Thirty Under 30 display put younger owners in the spotlight, while Sunday’s Junior Concours brought miniature cars to the Fountain Gardens. 

It was easy to make a full day of the visit. Fortnum & Mason offered picnics to eat in the gardens; elsewhere were the Charles Heidsieck Champagne Bar, Jim and Tonic, coffee and street food. Guests in the hospitality enclosure had a more formal programme, including lunch and afternoon tea (with plenty of Hildon natural mineral water). Around the grounds, people sat together over food, caught up with friends or paused between one part of the event and the next. The exhibitors offered another reason to linger. A. Lange & Söhne showed its watches, while businesses including Lock & Co. Hatters, Gaziano & Girling and Turnbull & Asser brought the worlds of hats, shoes and clothing into the event. Their stands gave visitors something desirable to browse when they were ready for a break from the cars.

For Hildon, supporting the Concours for a second year meant being part of that wider experience. Our natural mineral water comes from a protected source beneath our Hampshire estate, where it is filtered through chalk and bottled at source. It was a pleasure to see it served at an event where guests had come to spend time together and enjoy a day out.

On Sunday, the Grand Depart gave visitors a final opportunity to see the Concours cars moving through the grounds as they left Hampton Court. By then, the weekend had offered many different ways in: the spectacle of the cars arriving and departing, the quieter pleasure of looking closely at them, conversations with exhibitors, and lunch in gardens with centuries of history. It is that combination which makes the Concours of Elegance such an enjoyable date in the September calendar.

The next event in the organisers’ calendar is the Royal Bahrain Concours at the Royal Golf Club on 6–7 November 2026. Closer to home, the London Concours returns on 8–10 June 2027, followed by the Concours of Elegance back at Hampton Court Palace on 3–5 September 2027.