Ipswich gears up for Festival of Horsepower 2025
23 May 2025
Engines will roar, hooves will pound and the cheers of fans will be heard across Ipswich as the Festival of Horsepower kicks into gear for another year.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said Ipswich will come alive this June as the city-wide celebration revs up, featuring some of the most exciting motorsport and horsepower events.
“The Festival of Horsepower is a drawcard for more than 55,000 visitors, spanning the whole month,” Mayor Harding said.
“The month is packed to the brim with drag racing, horse racing and everything in between. It is adrenaline-fuelled, with opportunities for everyone to enjoy.
“The festival will start strong with the Winternationals Warm Up on 31 May to 1 June, where you can get a sneak peek at your favourite competitors testing against the clock before the Gulf Western Oil Winternationals on 5 to 8 June.
“The iconic TAB Ipswich Cup on 21 June is much more than just a horserace, it’s the social event of the year for our city, with fashion, food and plenty of entertainment.
“To wrap up the month, 2 Days of Thunder will be a massive weekend of Super Series racing at the Queensland Raceway.
“The Festival of Horsepower is a showcase of our city’s diverse sporting culture and community spirit. Visitors from across the region and beyond come along and bring with them an injection into our local economy.”
Economic and Cultural Development Committee Chairperson Councillor Pye Augustine said Festival of Horsepower was about more than just fast-paced fun.
“City-wide festivals such as this don’t just bring good times to our city, they bring incredible economic benefits and help drive tourism,” Cr Augustine said.
“The Festival of Horsepower draws together some of our city’s most iconic annual events with something for everyone, such as the Western Star Family Race Day which will be a fantastic day out for the whole family.
“Families can come along to the Marburg Showgrounds and take in the exciting scenes as Standardbred horses pull their driver’s carts across the finish line.
“This is one of the last remaining harness racing courses in Queensland and is a phenomenal display of country racing, with entertainment, food and drinks and mini-trot races.
“The family fun doesn’t stop there; visitors can explore the history of travel and enjoy a family train ride at the From Horses to Horsepower Family Fun Day at Cooneana Heritage Centre.
“It’ll be a day of seeing custom and classic cars and motorcycles, blacksmithing, family history and more.
“Other highlights of the month include the All GM Day, Speed Demons Showdown Saturday and Cruise the Night.
“I encourage all residents to take a look at the program and book in early for these popular events.”
To see the full program and to book tickets, visit www.ipswichfestivals.com.au/festival-of-horsepower