FuelFest founder Cody Walker has spent the last seven years taking his automotive festival around the world. The younger brother of the late actor Paul Walker — who starred as Brian O’Conner in the Fast & Furious film franchise before his untimely death in 2013 — created FuelFest as a way to bring together car enthusiasts while continuing his brother’s passion for automotive culture and philanthropy.
Despite stops across the U.S., Japan, Qatar and the United Kingdom, Chicago remained one of the cities he wanted to reach. That changes July 18, when FuelFest makes its Chicagoland debut at SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview. Tickets are on sale here.
The event will feature more than 700 custom vehicles, professional drifting, live music and appearances by actor and R&B singer Tyrese Gibson, who also stars in the Fast & Furious franchise. Walker said the festival’s biggest draw isn’t the celebrity lineup, but a chance to experience Chicago’s automotive community firsthand. Walker and Gibson spoke with The TRiiBE on July 8 ahead of FuelFest’s Chicagoland debut.
“Chicago’s a place that we’ve wanted to be for a while,” Walker said. “We know the car culture there is insane.”
Founded in 2018, FuelFest blends car culture with live entertainment, interactive attractions and philanthropy. What started as a Southern California event has grown into an international festival with more than 30 shows across the globe. In 2026 alone, FuelFest is hosting 11 events worldwide.
But regardless of where the festival travels, Walker said every stop is shaped by the people who call that city home.
“It’s kind of like FuelFest is a representation of the local car scene,” he said. “We’ll have hundreds of cars out on display in Chicago, but it’s going to be stuff people haven’t seen at other FuelFests before because they’re mostly privately owned people bringing out cars from their collections.”
Organizers expect everything from American muscle cars and lowriders to imports, motorcycles and custom builds to fill the festival grounds. Owners can register their vehicles through FuelFest’s approval process, though Walker said the festival has always prioritized showcasing a wide range of automotive styles rather than creating an exclusive event.
“I’ve never hosted a car event in Chicago before,” Walker said. “You’ll see things that are similar, but you’ll also see things built in a completely different way than you’ve seen before. There’s so many different niches and different subcultures within car culture that it’s always super interesting to see what a region has cooking.”
For Gibson, who has portrayed Roman Pearce in the Fast & Furious franchise for more than two decades, Chicagoland’s first FuelFest is about more than fast cars.
“I can’t really explain the energy that happens in Chicago when I show up and do anything out there,” Gibson said. “I’m expecting complete pandemonium.”
Unlike a concert or club appearance, where Gibson may only spend an hour with fans before heading to his next engagement, FuelFest gives him the chance to spend much of the day meeting attendees, taking photos and signing memorabilia.
“I’m usually at these FuelFest events for at least five hours,” he said. “I get an opportunity to be around fans and socialize, taking pictures and selfies and getting some energy going with fans.”
During the interview, Gibson also announced that Chicagoland’s FuelFest will mark the first time he has performed live at one of the festivals.
“I’m going big in Chicago,” he said. “I’m performing.”
In addition to celebrity appearances, FuelFest will feature professional drifting demonstrations, drift ride-alongs with professional drivers, motorcycle stunt performances, live music, interactive exhibits and a showcase of screen-used vehicles from the Fast & Furious films.
Walker said the event is designed to appeal to more than die-hard automotive enthusiasts.
“This is a living, breathing animal that just doesn’t let up,” he said. “If you’re not a car person when you walk through the door, you’re going to be.”
That philosophy also extends to families. Children ages 12 and younger receive free admission, a decision Walker said is intended to introduce the next generation to car culture.
“As a child that grew up in a household where cars were always a topic of discussion, I’ve always been interested,” Walker said. “To help capture the attention of the next generation — because they’re our future — that’s everything.”
While FuelFest has grown into a global event, Walker said its charitable mission remains at the heart of everything they do.
A portion of every ticket sold benefits Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW), the disaster relief nonprofit founded by Paul Walker after he organized relief efforts following Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake. Since then, the organization has responded to disasters around the world. FuelFest has helped raise more than $1 million to support its work.
“Paul was the heart and soul of the whole thing. He funded it 100% on his own. He kept it close to his chest,” Walker said about his brother who passed away at age 40. “Six years after he passed, I created FuelFest and I went, man, this is the stuff that I love. Can I make something that would then benefit Reach Out Worldwide because I’m not a millionaire,” Walker said. “I can’t float what my brother did, so I created FuelFest.”
For Gibson, that combination of cars, community and service is what has kept him involved since the festival’s beginning. “I can’t really compare FuelFest to anything I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It’s not anything to sell. We’re just literally putting the most amazing event ever on people’s radars.”
As FuelFest prepares for its first Chicagoland event, Walker said he’s eager to see what local enthusiasts bring through the gates.”We’re excited for year one,” he said. “To see how you guys do it in Chicago.”
