FH6 Festival Playlist Guide: Weekly Challenges & Seasonal Rewards
Updated: June 25, 2026 · 10 min read
What the Festival Playlist Actually Is
The Festival Playlist is the heart of Forza Horizon 6's live service. Every week (Thursday 7:30 AM PT), a new season starts with a fresh set of challenges. Every four weeks makes a Series, and completing enough challenges across the series earns you the big-ticket reward cars — usually two exclusive vehicles you can't get any other way.
The playlist screen looks overwhelming when you first open it. Dozens of tiles, multiple point thresholds, cars locked behind different totals. But once you understand the structure, it's actually straightforward: each tile is worth a certain number of points toward the weekly and series totals. You don't need to do everything. You just need to hit the point thresholds for the cars you want.
Each season (one week) has a 20-point car and a 40-point car. Each series (four weeks) has an 80-point car and a 160-point car. The series cars are usually the ones people actually want — rare, high-value, often brand-new to the game. To get the 160-point series car, you need to average 40 points per week across all four seasons, which means doing most but not all of the available challenges.
Every Challenge Type Explained
The Trial (10 points)
Co-op race against "Unbeatable" Drivatars. You and five other human players race as a team. If your team outscores the Drivatars, everyone wins. This is the highest-point single event each week, but it's also the most frustrating because you're relying on random teammates who may or may not know how to drive. Key tips: bring a fully upgraded car in the required class (don't show up with a stock rental), don't ram your teammates (you're on the same team), and if you get a bad lobby, quit and requeue — it's faster than suffering through three races with terrible drivers.
EventLab (3-5 points)
Community-created races. These range from excellent to absolute chaos. The EventLab tile usually has a specific theme or creator, and the track is always pre-selected. Just complete it — you don't need to win. Pro tip: if the EventLab is a "Jump" or "Stunt" map that seems impossible, check r/ForzaHorizon — someone has usually posted an easy completion route within an hour of the season starting.
PR Stunts (2-3 points each)
Speed traps, speed zones, danger signs, drift zones. Each season typically has 2-3 PR stunt challenges. These require specific cars or classes. The seasonal target is usually higher than the three-star target, so you'll need a tuned car. For speed traps and danger signs, the Mosler MT900S and Koenigsegg Jesko cover almost everything. For drift zones, the Formula Drift Viper or a properly tuned Hoonigan will do the job with zero effort.
Seasonal Championships (5 points each)
Three-race series against Highly Skilled Drivatars with a car restriction (specific manufacturer, class, decade, etc.). You need to win the championship, which means finishing first overall across the three races. The AI difficulty is manageable — Highly Skilled is two notches below Unbeatable — but the car restrictions can be annoying if you don't own anything that qualifies. Check the Autoshow and Auction House before committing to an expensive build.
Playground Games (3 points)
Team PvP — usually Infected, King, or Flag Rush. You don't need to win, just complete the event. These can drag on for 15-20 minutes, which makes them the lowest points-per-minute in the playlist. Worth doing for the series total, but if you're just trying to hit the weekly 20-point car, skip this and do the easier challenges instead.
Photo Challenge (2 points)
Take a photo of a specific car at a specific location. The easiest 2 points in the playlist. Drive to the location, open photo mode, snap the picture. You don't even need to own the car — if the challenge requires a Ferrari at the main festival site, just find one in the Autoshow, preview it, and take the photo from the preview screen. Yes, that works.
Treasure Hunt / Riddle (3 points)
A cryptic clue leads to a treasure chest somewhere on the map. The clue is usually a play on words referencing a specific car, location, or action. Do the thing the clue suggests, and a red circle appears on the map with the chest location. Smash through the chest to collect it. These are genuinely fun puzzles and almost always solvable within 5-10 minutes.
Monthly Rivals (4 points, once per series)
Set a clean lap on a specific track. You only need to do this once per series (four weeks), not every week. Any clean lap counts — you don't need to beat the rival's time. Just don't hit walls or rewind, and you'll get the points. Easiest four points in the entire series.
How to Prioritize Your Time
If you're going for the 40-point weekly car, here's the optimal route: Trial (10) + two Championships (10) + PR Stunts (6-9) + Monthly Rivals if it's a new series (4) + Photo Challenge (2) + Treasure Hunt (3) = 35-38 points. Fill the gap with EventLab or Playground Games. This takes about 2-3 hours per week.
If you're only going for the 20-point car: Trial (10) + one Championship (5) + PR Stunts (6) = 21 points in about 90 minutes. Skip everything else.
If you want the 160-point series car: you need 40 points every week for four weeks. That means doing almost everything except maybe one Playground Games session. Budget 3-4 hours per week and don't miss a season — there's no catch-up mechanic for past weeks.
Backstage Passes and the Horizon Backstage
Starting in Series 3, completing playlist challenges also earns you Backstage Passes — a separate currency you can spend in the Horizon Backstage shop. The Backstage rotates its inventory every series and usually contains rare cars from previous series that new players missed. If you see a car you want in the Backstage, grab it — there's no guarantee it'll come back. Backstage Passes carry over between series, so you can save them up.
The Forzathon Shop
Completing playlist challenges also earns Forzathon Points (FP), which you spend in the Forzathon Shop (accessible from the pause menu or any Horizon Festival site). The shop refreshes weekly and usually has one exclusive car plus some wheelspins, clothing items, and horns. The car is rarely worth the FP unless you're a completionist, but the wheelspins sometimes pay off. FP caps at 999, so spend them before you hit the cap — there's nothing more annoying than earning FP you can't collect.