Scenes From North America’s First-Ever BMW M Festival

Over the weekend, droves of auto enthusiasts descended upon Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in celebration of BMW’s high-performance sub-brand, BMW M. The first-ever North American iteration of the BMW M Festival attracted a sold-out crowd of over 4,300, ranking it as the third-largest in the world.

It’s easy to see what brought people out to the event. Not only did attendees partake in electrifying drive experiences ⁠— including 240 km-per-hour hot laps with BMW Factory Works drivers Jesse Krohn and Tom Blomqvist, drag racing, and off-road exercises — they could also take in top-shelf musical performances (Serena Ryder, Dear Rouge), nom-worthy food, and family-friendly activities. Fans were also able take a gander at the winners of the BMW M Festival Design Competition, shop at the BMW Lifestyle Boutique, and witness jaw-slackening drifting feats on the skid pad. All in all, it was a gear head’s wet dream.

The M Festival was launched in Germany five years ago, where it was held at the famous Nürburgring circuit during the annual 24-hour race there. It’s since been exported to other countries. Canada was chosen as the first North American stop because of the popularity of the M series here; it’s the fourth largest market in the world for the performance brand.

Check out highlights from the weekend in the gallery below.