- Thrilling four days lined up for Simola Hillclimb fans, from 1 to 4 May 2025
- Family-friendly event includes FanFest and Knysna Parades for Classic Car Friday and King of the Hill, Suzuki Auto South Africa activation in Gasoline Alley, children’s play area, spectacular food and beverages, superb new official Simola Hillclimb merchandise on sale, Monster Energy activity at Turn 2, ORMS photographic deck, and scenic helicopter flips
- Exciting demonstrations and displays, including Johan Kristoffersson driving the 2016 title-winning Polo R World Rally Championship car, in addition to competing in King of the Hill in World Rallycross Polo RX1e
- Stunt ace Terry Grant will be back in action, driving the 1.9 km Simola Hill on two wheels in a standard Volkswagen Polo
It’s finally Simola Hillclimb week, and the 15th edition of South Africa’s premier motoring and motorsport lifestyle event promises more of everything – more spectacular cars, even more intense competition, non-stop adrenaline and action, and endless fun and excitement for spectators beyond just the cars racing up the 1.9 km Simola Hill.
The action kicks off on Thursday 1 May with the Classic Car Friday scrutineering and FanFest in Hedge Street near the Knysna Waterfront, followed by the parade of the golden oldies along Waterfront Drive starting at 14h45. Access to the scrutineering and Knysna Parade is free and is a fantastic opportunity to see the cars and drivers close up.
The Classic Car Friday programme commences on 2 May at 08h00 with the first of three practice sessions, followed by three qualifying runs leading up to the lunchtime break. The top three competitors in each class from the qualifying runs go head-to-head in the Class Finals in the afternoon.
Then it’s on to the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout where the 10 fastest qualifiers each have one final sprint up the hill to decide who is crowned Classic Conqueror for 2025. The prize-giving ceremony will be held adjacent to the start line after the final shootout is complete.
The big guns come out for King of the Hill, with the two-day event preceded on Friday 2 May by the scrutineering, FanFest as well as the King of the Hill Parade starting at 17h15. Access is free for these activities, and spectators can expect lots of wild tyre-smoking action.
Saturday’s King of the Hill schedule comprises four practice sessions that begin at 09h05 and carry on through to the lunch break. The first three qualifying sessions in the afternoon wrap up the first day of King of the Hill.
The competition heats up on Sunday, which starts with a warm-up run at 09h05 before the final three qualifying rounds. The fastest qualifiers from all six sessions determine the top three competitors who proceed to the Class Finals, as well as the overall fastest times for the Top 10 Shootout. The Class Finals are scheduled for 14h05, followed by the King of the Hill shootouts for the three separate categories: Road Car and Supercar, Modified Saloon Car, and Single Seater and Sports Car. Prize-giving once again takes place next to the start line once the final runs are completed.
Entertainment galore
Aside from the thrilling antics on the tight and twisty 1.9 km Simola Hillclimb course throughout the weekend, there are plenty of other activities and highlights to keep fans – young and old – enthralled.
Suzuki Auto South Africa will showcase a variety of its two and four-wheeled products, and will have a fan-focused activation in Gasoline Alley that shouldn’t be missed.
Spectators can look forward to a variety of demonstrations and display runs between the sessions. The afternoon break each day features a full programme of spectacular cars and motorcycles from several top-tier automotive brands sprinting up the hill, along with tyre-shedding drift cars.
Volkswagen Group South Africa is going all-out this year at the Simola Hillclimb, including bringing seven-time World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson to compete in King of the Hill in the all-electric title-winning Polo RX1e. The Swedish ace will have a busy weekend, as he will also be doing spectacular demo runs in the 2016 Volkswagen Polo R WRC – the very car that won the World Rally Championship that year in the hands of Sebastian Ogier.
World-renowned stunt driver Terry Grant will be returning to the Simola Hillclimb once again, following his 2018 outing which wowed the crowds. His participation this year is courtesy of Volkswagen, and he will be driving a showroom-specification Polo up the Simola Hill – on two wheels!
Simola Hillclimb merch
To further enhance the Simola Hillclimb experience, the event’s exciting new merchandise range will be on sale from the Pit Vendor Area, as well as Gasoline Alley. Attendees will be able to buy official Simola Hillclimb caps and shirts.
And, talking of vendors, as always there will be a superb range of food and beverages on sale to suit all tastes. As a child-friendly event, the Simola Hillclimb truly caters for all ages, and a play area with a jumping castle will be available to keep the little ones entertained.
Monster is back once again to pump energy into the Simola Hillclimb with its activation at Turn 2. ORMS will be hosting a photographic deck which is accessible to all ticketholders adjacent to the Turn 2 Grandstand, helping enthusiast photographers obtain the best shots of the action.
For the most breathtaking view of the Simola Hillclimb, and Knysna in general, you simply can’t beat a helicopter flip. AER Helicopters is offering scenic flights throughout the weekend, with options of a flight above the event, then sweeping across the Knysna lagoon to the Heads and back. A VIP option is also available that adds a low-level coastal flight past Buffalo Bay and Brenton-on-Sea. Bookings are made directly with AER Helicopters, which will have a gazebo at the end of the pit lane.
Full action livestream
Local and international enthusiasts who aren’t able to attend this year’s Simola Hillclimb will be able to follow all the action via the livestream, which is free to access via the website (www.simolahillclimb.com). The broadcast covers all three days, ensuring that you don’t miss any of the excitement and intense competition, hosted by expert presenters including Rodrigo de Oliviera from Portugal, who runs Hillclimb Monsters.
The livestream will include several innovations this year, including in-car footage from some of the top competitors, as well as expanded pit lane coverage incorporating the amazing sights and sounds of this unique event.
The 15th edition of the Simola Hillclimb takes place from 1 to 4 May 2025.
More information and online ticket sales are available on the Simola Hillclimb website: www.simolahillclimb.com
