Easter Safari Rally is back!
Winners of the 2023 WRC Safari Rally, Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais celebrate on June 25, 2023 in Naivasha.
What you need to know:
- The Safari will offer Kenyans uninterrupted East weekend in Naivasha unlike in the last three years when they were forced to rush back to their respective destinations after the end of the rally on Sunday.
- The 13-round championship will also feature Poland and Latvia. Legs will be run in Europe, South America and Africa.
The Safari Rally has been confirmed in the 2024 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar and reverts back to its traditional Easter weekend date for the first time in 26 years, promising a nostalgic journey down memory lane.
The Federation Internationale de I’ Automobile (FIA) World Motorsports Council released the 2024 calendar today which reveals the March 28-31 Safari Rally date which promises to make next year’s Safari the biggest gathering of fans in Naivasha and millions glued to their digital outlets to follow the action in a decade.
“This is very good Mashujaa news and a celebration for all Kenyans as we retrace the Safari Rally journey of 70 years ago when millions of Kenyans looked forward to the Easter weekend every year to enjoy the thrills of the Safari Rally,” said the WRC Safari Rally CEO Phineas Kimathi.
The Safari will offer Kenyans uninterrupted East weekend in Naivasha unlike in the last three years when they were forced to rush back to their respective destinations after the end of the rally on Sunday.
The 13-round championship will also feature Poland and Latvia. Legs will be run in Europe, South America and Africa.
The Safari Rally will be held once again in Nairobi and Naivasha under the traditional long rains spell expected to spice up the competition and re-affirm its unpredictable nature that earned it the moniker “toughest rally in the world”.
Race dates were moved to June in in 1997, and then July date until 2002 when the rally lost its WRC status.
The Safari has been held at the last weekend of June for the last three years from 2021 after returning to the WRC after 19 years.
WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel said: “We’re eagerly anticipating another action-packed season in 2024 with a calendar that not only celebrates our esteemed traditions, but also propels us into an exciting future.
“Our return to Poland and our debut in Latvia underscores our commitment to delivering a fresh and exciting WRC experience for fans and competitors alike.”
Every round of the WRC season will be broadcast live on WRC’s groundbreaking new platform Rally.TV, as well as via traditional broadcast partners around the globe.
The Rallye Monte-Carlo (25-28 January) start the new calendar and will be based in the Col de Turini passes high in the French Alps which tests drivers to the limit.
It will be followed closely by Rally Sweden (15-18 February), the only pure snow and ice fixture on the calendar.
Croatia Rally (18-23 April) has drawn in hundreds of thousands of spectators since its WRC debut in 2021. Its unique asphalt tracks based around the capital of Zagreb vary from smooth to badly broken and are set to return in all their glory, as will the legendary gravel tests of Vodafone Rally de Portugal (9 - 12 May) – also a huge hit with the crowds.
Mediterranean charm awaits at Rally Italia Sardegna (30 May - 2 June) before the eagerly anticipated return of ORLEN Rally Poland (27 - 30 June), back after a hiatus at the sport’s top level since 2017.
Poland’s lightning-fast gravel roads promise a thrilling spectacle which will only be amplified further by the country’s enthusiastic fanbase. WRC is thrilled to welcome a newcomer to Tet Rally Latvia (18 - 21 July), located in the vibrant southern coastal city of Liepāja.
Building on years of success at FIA European Rally Championship level, the loose-surface fixture underscores the clear pathway for events to ascend to the global stage of WRC.
Speed enthusiasts can look forward to the high-octane Secto Rally Finland (1 - 4 August), renowned for its jaw-dropping speeds and gravity-defying jumps.
The excitement then takes a different form at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (5 - 8 September), offering a very different flavour with its winding, rocky mountain stages.
Once again, South America asserts its presence with Rally Chile Bio Bío (26 - 29 September), reaffirming the championship’s global reach. Central European Rally (31 October – 3 November) will sweep across Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany as the penultimate round before the grand finale unfolds in Asia at FORUM8 Rally Japan (21 - 24 November).
Every round of the WRC season will be broadcast live on WRC’s groundbreaking new platform Rally.TV, as well as via traditional broadcast partners around the globe.
2024 WRC CALENDAR
Date Event Surface
January 25 –28 Rallye Monte-Carlo Asphalt/Ice
February 15 -18 Rally Sweden Snow
March 28 –31 Safari Rally Kenya Gravel
April 18 –23 Croatia Rally Asphalt
May 9 -12 May Vodafone Rally de Portugal Gravel
May 30- June 2 Rally Italia Sardegna Gravel
June 27 – 30 ORLEN Rally Poland Gravel
July 18 – 21 Tet Rally Latvia Gravel
August 1 – 4 Secto Rally Finland Gravel
September 5 – 8 EKO Acropolis Rally Greece Gravel
September 26 – 29 Rally Chile Bio Bío Gravel
October 31- November 3 Central European Rally Asphalt
November 21 – 24 FORUM8 Rally Japan Asphalt
