The barbershop team keeping Goodwood Revival visitors looking sharp

“I've been cutting men’s hair at the Revival since 2004, says Symon. “It’s an amazing experience. I make sure I block out time for it every September.” Over two decades they’ve gathered a fair few stories and done more haircuts than they care to remember. “We’ve given up counting,” says Jason, who joined his brother a few years later. “We just keep going until we are done.”

They're often lucky enough to cut celebrity hair, including motoring enthusiast Guy Martin, or “the chap with sideburns who breaks all the land speed records, used to take part in some of the races at Goodwood Revival on Barry Sheene's old bike,” as Jason described him.

“One Sunday morning he came in for a haircut — he was a lovely humble man. He was thrilled with his haircut and when he left he turned around and said, ‘Top magic Jason, top man!’

“I asked him what his favourite car was, thinking he would say something really exotic, but no, he said it was his van. It had two 911 engines strapped together in the back, and this thing would do 180 miles an hour! He’s not really a celebrity; he’s a mechanic through and through.”

The magic of the barbershop is that it’s based entirely in period, with a set-up, chairs and memorabilia from the 1950s. “And we dress accordingly as 1950s barbers,” added Symon.

They do around 12-15 haircuts each day of the event, and Jason says the benches are always full with people waiting for their turn. “We just keep going until we are done. People come in not just for a haircut, but for the full barber shop experience. The whole time everyone’s talking. It’s a sacred space. And then of course they leave beaming from ear to ear.”

Symon and Jason were previously joined by two other barbers, Kerry and Eddie, though Eddie has now sadly passed away. “He really was amazing,” tributed Symon. “He was a Mod through and through, and he had his own scooter, which became an iconic part of the salon set-up and would be parked outside. He had a following and people would come to him to plan their haircuts for Goodwood Revival. He was the Mod King.”

Whether it’s the iconic Mod look of the 1960s or the sophistication of the 1940s, each era has a distinctive style, as Jason explains: “The 1940s is very much slicked back, the 1950s is really defined by the short back and sides. Everyone’s going to have the Elvis Presley type hair or the flat top.

“And then in the 1960s things got looser, and there are the Beatles type cuts and the Mod look coming in. The Mod look does have lots of variations, if you think of Paul Weller, so we can do something that suits the person and their hair.”

“We can create any look,” added Symon. “[Styling hair] really gives people the feel-good factor. They are dressed up with all their vintage clothes on and they come in, have their hair cut and they are thrilled!”

The two have seen the Revival go from strength to strength in their time cutting hair there, with the vintage clothing playing a key role in the event’s identity. As Symon recalls however, this was not always so prevalent. “When I first started, people weren't as dressed up as much. Now, most people are dressed up. You can’t just turn up in jeans; you would look and feel embarrassed.”

“Everyone goes in period dress and prides themselves on it. People come from all over the globe and they all become part of this magical Revival world.”

“It gets more and more magical every year,” added Jason. “It has the best cars, the best bikes and famous faces, World Champion drivers and riders who come along — some even have their hair cut. I have never seen anything like the Revival before – it’s absolutely amazing.”

At the Goodwood Barber, any haircut or style can be requested, be it Revival era or not. Visitors are welcome to either come in with an idea of what they would like, or offer a clean slate for the barbers to work with, but note — it is walk-in only.

We’ll see you there at the Goodwood Revival, 18^th-20^th September 2026.

Saturday tickets and 3-Day passes for the Goodwood Revival have now sold out, and Friday and Sunday tickets are limited. 

If you’re not already part of the GRRC, you can sign up to the Fellowship today and save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoying a whole host of other on-event perks.  

Photography by Toby Adamson and Matt Dunkinson.