Polestar celebrated its five-year UK anniversary with its largest customer event to date – Polestar Festival. The Swedish electric performance brand brought together 1,000 customers at its Bicester facility for the UK debut of its new Polestar 5 GT.
The festival marked a significant milestone for a company that’s transformed dramatically since 2017.
Polestar originally served as Volvo’s performance division. But in 2017, it announced a bold shift toward electric-only vehicles, starting with the Polestar 1. The brand produced just 500 of these plug-in hybrid coupes annually from 2019 to 2021.
Mainstream Success Arrives
The Polestar 2 brought the brand into the mainstream UK market after its 2019 announcement. Since launching in summer 2020, it’s collected multiple awards from British automotive journalists – including New Car of the Year, Most Loved Car, and Best Premium Electric Car.
Even as one of the older models available today, the Polestar 2 remains popular with buyers. Its combination of decent range and proven reliability keeps it competitive.
The brand expanded with the Polestar 3 SUV – sharing its platform with the all-electric Volvo EX90. The Polestar 4 crossover followed and became the UK’s best-selling Polestar model during the first half of this year.
The New Flagship
The Polestar 5 represents the latest evolution of the brand’s lineup. It made its international debut at the 2025 Munich motor show, where it impressed with 871bhp, 416-mile range, and its unconventional rear window design.
UK pricing ranges from £89,500 to £142,900.
Festival guests experienced the Polestar Arctic Circle collection firsthand. This three-car team of modified Polestar 2, 3, and 4 models competed in this year’s FAT Ice Race. Attendees could test drive them virtually using the event’s racing simulators.
The world-record breaking Polestar 3 Long range Single motor drew significant attention. In August 2025, Kevin Booker drove the electric SUV to a range record of 581.3 miles on a single charge – exceeding its official WLTP range of 438 miles by 143 miles.
Interactive Experiences
Beyond vehicle displays, Polestar Festival offered hands-on experiences across the Bicester airfield. Guests participated in driving demonstrations with the Polestar 2, 3, and 4 models. The Polestar 3 showcased its capabilities in dedicated off-road demonstrations.
Event host Vicky Butler-Henderson coordinated an ambitious group activity. 180 Polestar drivers arranged their vehicles to create the world’s largest Polestar logo collage, measuring 170 meters wide.
“It was incredible to see so many customers and friends of the brand on Saturday, and the reception to the new Polestar 5 has been astonishing,” said Matt Galvin, managing director of Polestar UK.
“Polestar UK is growing fast and has a very exciting future ahead of it, and I would like to thank all our customers for being part of this success story.”
The festival highlighted how quickly Polestar has established itself in the UK’s competitive electric vehicle market – from a performance tuning company to a standalone brand attracting thousands of dedicated customers.
