VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Normally, the showroom floor at the Virginia Beach Convention Center would be packed with the latest and greatest in automaking this coming weekend, but not this year.
A visit to the Visit Virginia Beach page for the Hampton Roads International Auto Show says the event "will not be taking place in 2026."
News 3 reached out to the Hampton Roads Automobile Dealers Association (HRADA), the organization of local dealerships behind the show, which confirmed that members decided to pull the plug.
In previous years, the show has welcomed around two dozen car manufacturers — from Ford to Maserati — offering visitors a non-pressure situation to look through the newest models. The event was also known for family-friendly activities, classic car displays, vendors and test drive opportunities.
Pat Fields, CEO of Wynne Ford and Volvo dealerships in Hampton, serves as the HRADA's president and sent this statement about the cancelation: "The Hampton Roads automobile dealers have been honored to produce an auto show on and off for more than 100 years. The support of automobile manufacturers is essential to producing the quality of show that our residents deserve and that support has not yet returned since the pandemic. We will continue to monitor market conditions going forward in hopes that we can one day bring an auto show back to the area."
Fields went on to say through email that there were indicators the event may have to be paused after last year's show, but the association held out hope that there would be enough support to bring it back in 2026. HRADA later made the decision to cancel.
This is a developing story. Stay with News 3 for updates.
