The public will have free access to stroll though the pit area at P&J Live during the World Rally Championship next year, the venue has revealed.
Speaking at VisitAberdeenshire's North-east Scotland Tourism Conference 2026 at the same venue on Wednesday, Rob Wicks as Managing Director of P&J Live spoke of his excitement about Rally Scotland coming to the region, as well as what fans can look forward to.
The World Rally Championship will come to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in autumn 2027 for the first of at least three years.
As well as hundreds of drivers and teams participating, the North-east will host thousands of visitors in fans, car enthusiasts and the world's media covering the event.
VisitAberdeenshire's North-east Scotland Tourism Conference 2026 brought hundreds of industry professionals together at P&J Live.
On Wednesday, Rob took to the stage at P&J Live as part of a panel alongside Colin Clark from Motorsport UK and other guests discussing the championship coming to the region.
Rob said: "I have something of a history in motorsport and I've known Colin for more than 20 years. When he came knocking on the door to say 'can I come and see your venue?' I was thinking it was for a motorsport dinner or maybe a small conference.
"When he mentioned the World Rally Championship I drove down to pick him up!
"We're hugely excited. Our respective teams have been working hand-in-glove for coming on two years now to bring this to fruition.
"At the very heart of this is that it's a three-year deal. I've seen the potential that motorsport can bring in terms of economic impact to a city or to a region.
"We have it for at least three years and I think there are opportunities to explore how we can extend and develop this."
Excitement has been steadily building since Rally Scotland was announced back in March, with preparations gathering pace.
The North-east Scotland Tourism Conference, organised by VisitAberdeenshire, brought together hundreds of industry professionals to share insights and expertise, via a day of presentations, expert panels, networking and breakout sessions.
The World Rally Championship was a hot topic during the conference.
Rob continued: "All around the city, wherever I am, I sense a real palpable level of excitement about what this is going to bring to the city and the wider region.
"If I look around the venue, I don't think you could find a more purpose-built facility in many ways to be able to offer the teams - I think we'll have 80 or 90 cars overall.
P&J Live will act as a base for the teams, and Rob explained more details about what people can expect.
Rob said: "We need somewhere for the rally to be based and so that's what this venue will provide.
"The public will have free access to come and see what we call the 'service park' - that's the equivalent of the pits in Formula 1.
"Bring your wellies as there will probably be a little bit of mud!
Rob Wicks
"Our underground car park, which normally holds 1,200 cars, that's all going to be converted. You'll be able to walk through that, talk to team members, see the cars being prepared before they go out, see them come back covered in mud, the work the mechanics do on them and see firsthand what's going on.
"Upstairs, our exhibition halls on the ground floor are going to be converted into areas where you can watch the rally happening on different stages. You'll be able to buy merchandise, grab a beer, and really enjoy what's going on.
"Into the arena, we'll be putting on a show, certainly on at least one of the nights, in terms of the cars running something of a super special stage.
"We've had the benefit of running Arena Cross, the indoor motocross, we've done the Hotwheels stunt show in there before, and we've had a few people who have got some seriously good driving credentials test what it's like to drive in there. I think it'll be wonderful for the rally drivers.
"The conference room facilities on the first floor are going to cater for everything from rally control to international television production.
"For a number of reasons, this event is going to test and challenge us but it's also going to put the city and region on the map in a way that events have not previously done so."