If you love roads that twist through mountains, coastal hairpins, and open gravel stages, the Sardinia Classic 2026 is the kind of island event that will stay with you long after the engine noise has faded. Known officially as Sardegna Classic 2026, this is the final regularity rally organized by the veteran duo Robert Rorife and Pierre Barré, and it is set to run from 20 to 26 September 2026 on the island of Sardinia.
For classic-car and motorsport enthusiasts, this is less a mere race and more a grand tour of Sardinia’s most beautiful roads, wrapped in a competitive regularity-rally format.
"Sardinia Classic 2026 is a grand tour of Sardinia’s most beautiful roads, wrapped in a competitive regularity-rally format."
What the Sardinia Classic 2026 Is
A Celebration of Precision and Navigation
The Sardegna Classic 2026 is a 5-day regularity rally for classic and vintage cars, presented by the SeaSunRally organization. The event is built on the idea of competitiveness blended with touring: drivers follow a precise route and time schedule, but they are not racing at maximum speed on public roads; instead, they are trying to match target times, making it a test of precision and navigation as much as of driving.
"A paradise for rallying because of its winding mountain roads, gravel stages, and stunning coastal scenery."
The rally is structured into three categories:
- Regularity 30 RT – The most competitive category, with 30 time-based regularity tests (RTs), where drivers strive to stay exactly on schedule.
- Challenger 18 RT – A slightly lighter program, with a maximum of 4 RTs per day, aimed at crews who want competition but with less pressure.
- Touring – A leisurely drive at your own pace with no time checks, perfect for those who simply want to experience Sardinia in their classic cars without the stress of competition.
Dates and Route Overview
Journey Through Sardinia’s Scenic Routes
The Sardinia Classic 2026 is scheduled for 20–26 September 2026, with the competitive days running from 21 to 25 September, and the 26th likely reserved for final logistics and post-event activities.
The rally begins in Alghero, a coastal town on Sardinia’s northwest coast, and then moves across the island in a big loop that connects Alghero, Oshiri, Arbatax, Goni, Usulei, Mores, and Tempio, before returning to Alghero for the finish.
A breakdown of the published program gives this sense of the journey:
- Monday 21 September 2026 – Alghero → Oshiri → Arbatax
- A day that moves from the west coast to the southeastern coast, using some of the same roads and special-stage flavors that have hosted the WRC Rally Italia Sardegna in the past.
- Tuesday 22 September 2026 – Arbatax → Goni → Arbatax
- A southern loop through the Costa Rei area, with curves and open roads, plus a mountain-mechoui (outdoor lunch) in the hills.
- Wednesday 23 September 2026 – Arbatax → Usulei → Arbatax
- A route through the Gennargentu heartland, with hill climbs, mountain passes, and deep valleys, putting the cars to the test on the island’s most spectacular climbs.
- Thursday 24 September 2026 – Arbatax → Mores → Alghero
- A circuit-day loop, with two special stages on the Autodromo di Mores and Alghero’s karting circuit, offering a more controlled, stage-measured competition.
- Friday 25 September 2026 – Alghero → Tempio → Alghero
- A grand final on the high-quality roads and special-stage paths of the Costa Smeralda-flavored WRC territory, finishing with the Monte Limbara Hill Climb near Alghero.
The Cars and the Atmosphere
A Moving Festival of Classic Cars
The Sardinia Classic 2026 is not a showroom-style concours; it is a driving event for classic cars that are actually being used on real roads. The route is short enough each day (around 250–300 km maximum per day) that drivers can enjoy both the competition and the island’s hotels, beaches, and restaurants after the stages close.
Because the event is organized by a long-standing rallying team, the atmosphere is both serious and convivial. The crews are a mix of:
- Professional or semi-professional classic-car teams.
- Amateur enthusiasts who have restored and prepared their own vehicles.
- Pilgrims of the island, who see Sardinia as one of the best places in Europe to drive classic machinery on challenging, empty roads.
How to Join or Watch the Sardinia Classic 2026
Be Part of the Action or Enjoy the Spectacle
The Sardinia Classic 2026 is above all a participants-focused rally, but it is designed in a way that leaves space for both on-stage action and roadside spectacle.
For crews who want to enter, the event is open to classic and historic cars that meet the SeaSunRally regulations, with three categories:
- Regularity 30 RT – for the most competitive teams.
- Challenger 18 RT – for a slightly lighter competition load.
- Touring – for those who just want to enjoy the island journey without time-based pressure.
Registration information, including the registration form and entry fees, is published on the SeaSunRally website, with a pre-payment fee of 800 € per car and an additional membership-style 50 € fee per crew for the 2026 edition. The event also notes that entries withdrawn before 1 June 2026 can receive up to 80% of the entry fee back.
For non-drivers who want to experience the rally, the best way is to:
- Base yourself in Alghero or one of the intermediate towns (Arbatax, Mores, or Goni) and position yourself along the stages or the coast-road links where the cars are scheduled to pass.
- Follow the rally’s official communications and maps, which are updated closer to the dates and indicate public viewing zones and checkpoints.
Travel and Practical Information for Visitors
Getting to the Heart of the Rally
Visitors who want to experience the Sardinia Classic 2026 either as competitors or spectators have several transportation options to reach the island and the rally start in Alghero.
The organizers highlight:
- Flying to Alghero via Ryanair from Brussels Charleroi and several other European cities directly to Alghero Airport (AHO), which is very close to the rally’s headquarters.
- Flying to Olbia Airport (OLB) and then taking a shuttle service between Olbia and Alghero, also a popular route for participants and their support teams.
- Taking the car on a ferry from Genoa, Toulon, or Nice on overnight services to Olbia or Porto Torres, then driving to Alghero through the Costa Smeralda or the north-western coastal roads.
For those who do not want to drive their own classic car to the island, the rally also offers a specialist classic-car transporter service that will collect the vehicle in Belgium and deliver it to Alghero, returning it to the continent at the end of the event.
Given the late-September timing, weather should still be pleasant across Sardinia, with warm days and cool nights typical of the island’s autumn shoulder season, making it ideal for long drives and comfortable evenings by the sea.
Local Relevance and Sardinia’s Motorsport Scene
Part of a Rich Racing Tradition
The Sardinia Classic 2026 fits into a broader Sardinian motorsport calendar that already includes the WRC Rally Italia Sardegna, one of the most famous gravel rallies in the world. While the WRC event is a top-tier international championship, the Sardinia Classic is a classic-car, historic-rally affair, offering a very different but equally compelling experience for enthusiasts.
Sardinia, with its combination of coastal roads, mountain passes, and well-maintained rural routes, is a natural playground for this kind of event. The rally route deliberately draws on areas that have hosted WRC stages, giving drivers a taste of the same scenery and road quality that top-level rally crews know so well.
For visitors, this means that the Sardinia Classic 2026 is not just a one-off vintage-car festival. It is part of a wider island culture of motorsport and fast driving, where the island’s roads and landscapes are treated as a circuit in their own right.
Verified Information at a Glance
- Event Name: Sardinia Classic 2026 (Sardegna Classic 2026)
- Category: Historic regularity rally, classic-car tour, motorsport event
- Dates: 20–26 September 2026, with competitive days from 21–25 September 2026
- Main Locations: Alghero, Sardinia, Italy; stages and route loops through Oshiri, Arbatax, Goni, Usulei, Mores, and Tempio
- Route Format: 5-day regularity rally with daily stages of around 250–300 km maximum
- Categories: Regularity 30 RT, Challenger 18 RT, Touring
- Entry Structure: Pre-payment fee: 800 € per car; additional 50 € per crew
- Refund Policy: Entries canceled before 1 June 2026 can receive up to 80% of the entry fee back
- Logistics Options: Fly to Alghero Airport (AHO) or Olbia Airport (OLB); ferry from Genoa, Toulon, or Nice
Frequently Asked Questions
The Things People Always Want to Know
When is the Sardinia Classic 2026 in Sardinia?
The Sardinia Classic 2026 (Sardegna Classic 2026) runs from 20 to 26 September 2026, with the main competitive days from 21 to 25 September, starting and finishing in Alghero, Sardinia, Italy.
Where exactly does the rally take place in Sardinia?
The event is based in Alghero, with stages and loops passing through Oshiri, Arbatax, Goni, Usulei, Mores, and Tempio, covering the coastal roads of the Costa Smeralda, the mountain passes of the Gennargentu, and the hill-climb roads near Monte Limbara.
What kind of cars and competition is the Sardinia Classic 2026?
The Sardinia Classic 2026 is a 5-day regularity rally for classic and historic cars, with three categories: Regularity 30 RT (competitive), Challenger 18 RT (lighter competition), and Touring (no time checks), all driving on the island’s best roads and special-stage-style stages.
How much does it cost to enter the Sardinia Classic 2026?
Crews must pay a pre-payment fee of 800 € per car and an additional 50 € per crew as a 2026 membership-style fee; the exact entry-form and bank-payment details are published on the SeaSunRally Sardegna Classic 2026 page.
Can I watch the rally as a spectator, and how should I plan my trip?
Yes, the rally is rich in spectator potential along the mountain passes and coastal roads. Base yourself in Alghero or one of the intermediate towns (Arbatax, Mores, Goni), follow the official route maps, and position yourself at public viewing points along the stages between 21 and 25 September 2026 to enjoy the sight of classic cars moving through Sardinia’s most dramatic scenery.
