---
title: "Smoke, asphalt, and 50 race cars: how the Riviera shopping center became Ukraine's main drift arena"
description: "A large-scale drift festival has begun near Odesa: the parking lot of the Riviera shopping center has turned into a race track for 50 of the best pilots in Ukraine 🔥🏎️. This weekend, spectators are in for training sessions and final duels of Open DRIFT.UA. #drift #odesa #sport"
date: 2026-08-01T19:10:59.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/smoke-asphalt-50-cars-riviera-drift-arena-ukraine
video_landing: https://xab.info/en/videos/smoke-asphalt-50-cars-riviera-drift-arena-ukraine
video_url: https://xab.info/media/2026/08/01/drift-championship-riviera-odessa-2026/drift-championship-riviera-odessa-2026-video-1.mp4
tags: [riviera-shopping-city, odessa, open-drift.ua, drift, motorsport]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Smoke, asphalt, and 50 race cars: how the Riviera shopping center became Ukraine's main drift arena

![Drift race at Riviera Mall: yellow BMW and silver car in smoky battle](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/01/drift-championship-riviera-odessa-2026/drift-championship-riviera-odessa-2026-1.webp)

🎥 **Video Breakdown & Interactive Timestamps:** [Watch Video Landing Page](https://xab.info/en/videos/smoke-asphalt-50-cars-riviera-drift-arena-ukraine)

This weekend, the parking lot of one of the largest shopping centers near Odesa ceased to be just a place for parking cars and turned into a real motorsport arena. Today, August 1, the third round of the all-Ukrainian Open DRIFT.UA drift series officially kicked off here. This is not just local races, but a large-scale national championship, for which the best pilots of the country have gathered on the coast.

The event, coordinated with the military administration, took place on the territory of Riviera Shopping City. Organizers had previously reorganized the traffic scheme, allocating a significant part of the parking lot for the race track. Now, among the familiar shopping rows, engines are roaring, and the air is filled with the smell of hot asphalt and rubber.

On the first day of the competition, which takes place on Saturday, pilots are testing the track. More than 50 professionals on specially prepared rear-wheel-drive cars — mostly based on legendary BMW E36/E46 and Nissan Silvia platforms — are testing the surface and adjusting their drift angles. Spectators can already enjoy thick clouds of colored smoke rising from the race cars moving along complex trajectories.

However, the real battle will start tomorrow. Sunday, August 2, will be the main competitive day. Official qualification will start at 10:00, at the end of which the TOP-32 grid will be formed. It is on this day that the most spectacular pair final races will take place, where pilots will fight for leadership in "knockout" duels.

For festival visitors, not only stands have been prepared. An extensive food court and leisure area has been set up on the territory. And for those who want to feel the drive from the inside, a paid "drift taxi" service is available. This is a unique opportunity to ride as a passenger in a combat racing car with a professional pilot and feel all the overloads of extreme driving.