Northernfest Bilbao 2018.

Words: Aron Norris | Photography: Andrian Svet

The Spanish Car Scene.

The Spanish car scene is having a lot of fun right now. With amazing weather all-year-round and a growing sub-culture of car enthusiasts with the means to modify their cars, things are growing fast. The Spanish have such a relaxed attitude towards their cars. Nice people, nice cars, what’s not to like?

Northernfest, Bilbao, Spain.

Northernfest 2018 is a Spanish car show with a difference. These guys have been hosting events since 2005, and 13 years is long, long time in the car scene. This event has been around long enough to see some dramatic changes in car culture.

That said, the Northernfest event, located in Bilbao, has always stayed true to its roots. Clean bodywork and subtle modifications have always been the Northernfest way of doing things. This was a very rare thing back in 2005, especially in Spain, where extravagant body kits and chrome wheels were commonplace. Northernfest has always taken more influence from German modified styles, which has resulted in a timeless and classy turnout every single year.

Good Vibes Guaranteed.

Aside from the cars, the Northernfest ethos has always been to create a weekend event with the sole aim of bringing car enthusiasts together. This is a weekend event with a huge social element. The Saturday starts with a convoy route on mountain roads taking in sightseeing opportunities and meals together.

This year’s event included a special route which included a castle and classic car collection visit in addition to the main Bilbao meet, which was free of charge. Yes, you read that right, the Northernfest team don’t believe in creating car scene competition, so their event costs absolutely nothing to be involved in. Respect.

Keeping It Real.

It’s safe to say that the car scene these days is a melting pot of emotions and opinions good or bad, which is why taking things back to basics is such a cool concept. In some factions, the internet/social media has created an entitled car enthusiast driven only by one-upmanship, so it’s uplifting to know that events like Northernfest are here to put that right.

Long Live Northernfest.

Everyone has their own reasons for loving modified cars and the Northernfest event brings the Spanish car community together perfectly. Northernfest is Spain’s “drivers club” event, which is a refreshing way to bring people together. Utilising the amazing mountain roads surrounding Bilbao creates an all-inclusive modified car event. This is exactly what we need more of in the car scene these days. Congrats to the Northernfest team for producing another great event, roll on 2019…