By Dominic Giannini in Canberra

Petrolheads have descended upon the usually quiet national capital for a weekend of burnouts, drag races and supercharged cars.

Summernats brings car enthusiasts to Canberra for four days of festivities, including the Pro Burnout prize worth $50,000 and Burnout Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Mulletfest and classic car competitions round out the event, which began with 500 cars streaking down Canberra’s main road from midday Thursday as temperatures soared into the high 30s.

The heatwave has done little to deter tens of thousands of revellers from attending the car festival, which usually draws the ire of Canberra locals due to loud engines revving day and night as drivers show off their vehicles.

Some 130,000 people and 3000 car entrants were expected at this year’s event, Summernats co-owner Andy Lopez said.

As well as the usual festival food and drinks, 50,000 Zooper Doopers are on hand to help punters beat the heat.

“We’re here to create a really great experience for the people that come, so the numbers that we’ve got will be at capacity again this weekend,” Mr Lopez told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Police have issued a warning about illegal activities, with a 1991 Holden Commodore already seized after allegedly doing burnouts on a major highway on Monday night.

The car’s club registration had expired in December 2025 and it had been unregistered and uninsured since 2022, police said.

“Our message is pretty simple – have an enjoyable event, but just know that anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving will result in police action,” Supt Mark Steel said.

Four vehicles had already been seized in the lead-up to the event, compared to a total of five last year, he added.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” he said.

Insp Steel said residents should expect loud noise over the weekend.

“By midnight, it should be a normal weekend,” he added.

Summernats runs from Thursday to Sunday.