Every story I’ve ever heard, every article I’ve ever written and every video I’ve ever seen about Gatebil gets me longing for more. I just can’t put into words how excited I am for Gatebil every single year.
Despite the festival’s format staying roughly the same for almost 29 years, there are more cars and more people attending Gatebil now in 2025 than ever. The question is, why?
One reason is Gatebil’s notoriety for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with a car. If you have ever seen any crazy builds from Sweden, Norway or any other Scandinavian country for that matter, the chances are that you have seen it photographed at Gatebil.
That’s not to say international drivers aren’t welcome. Over the years Gatebil has seen loads of rookie drivers that have slowly but gradually become today’s stars in the drifting scene. Mad Mike, Fredric Aasbo and Vaugn Gittin Jr. just to name a few. They all had to start somewhere, right?
The cars they bring to Gatebil are mind blowing. This year’s event welcomed a fire breathing, rotary-powered C6 Chevrolet Corvette built by Alex Hildebrand into the mix. JDM mixed with USDM has never felt so right.
Blending motorsport and festival culture has always been the core of Gatebil’s character. Unlike most track events, Gatebil blends high adrenaline racing with music, camping and hardcore partying. Gatebil is well known for the craziness that goes around once the sun goes down…
… or when it’s supposed to, at least. Don’t forget, the sun never sets during a Scandinavian summer, and the partying never stops.
Gatebil has been one of the key drivers behind popularizing drifting in Scandinavia. The open track format and wild car setups have helped shape the aggressive, unfiltered style that Scandinavian drivers are known for globally. Ever heard of the Scandinavian Flick?
Events like Breisladden and Nordkampen (Fight of the North) have become fan and driver favorites, and both are reason enough to visit Gatebil.
Don’t even get me started on the time attack side of Gatebil, known as the Gatebil Extreme series. It’s where I’ve experienced some of the wildest cars I have ever laid my eyes upon; every car competing is an example of how diverse and inclusive this event really is.
I mean, when have you ever seen a 1500hp, 2JZ-powered BMW E30 M3 getting chased by a Cosworth-powered Ford Anglia, with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in close pursuit? You haven’t, have you? Well, you have now.
That’s where Gatebil shines the brightest. Whether you’re a driver, mechanic, photographer or a spectator, Gatebil welcomes everyone. The paddock and surrounding areas are where I spend most of my time at Gatebil.
It’s weird, now that I think about it, considering how mental the track action is. You don’t have to have the fastest car or the most polished build. Just the love for the culture.
It’s why Gatebil matters so much, and why it’s so popular. It keeps car culture real. The event celebrates creativity over conformity, passion over polish and community over competition. To me, Gatebil stands as a wild, free and inspiring reminder of why all of us fell in love with cars in the first place, and it’s why I keep coming back.
Great stuff, Alen. Glad to have this type of content in front of my eyes again ! Will you dig a bit deeper in this year’s Gatebil, kind of like the pits, the engine swaps, the XYZ, etc ?
Thanks Vincent!
I wasn’t really on that kind of a mission this year. But there is one event left in Sweden. Might cook up something from that one.
But, there are already plans for next years event.
It’s my first time hearing of Gatebil, but now it’s definitely one of the events I have to go to. And what Vincent mentioned seems sick! Based on your reply, there is soo much to look forward to with TP in the future. Thank you for covering this Alen!!
Hey Xander. Its the wildest event we have in Scandinavia. Its a blast and I think you should check it out! I´ll definitely be doing a much more in depth coverage of the future.
This is a bucket list event, right up there with things like Le Mans and F1 at Spa!
First time hearing of this event and now it’s added to long list of events I need to go overseas for.
What an awesome looking event, i feel i may need to assemble a convoy out there for this
I definitely think you should!
Gatebil has been on my bucket list ever since I first read about it in a Speedhunters article nearly 10 years ago. Year after year, I’ve followed the event coverage and drooled over the photos of those insane builds. A few years back, I even had the chance to study in Norway and really wanted to go, but it clashed with other plans. Maybe 2026 will finally be the year?
Sounds like a good plan ;)!
What a thrill… Incredible stuff, Alen. I love your angle on culture; somehow able to fit guest sleeping accommodations in with Instagram perfect drift missiles. This is definitely now on the bucket list (and it’s because of you!).
We’ll take all of the Gatebil coverage you guys throw at us. I miss these articles.