Sun cream, dusty boots and the thrum of V-twins filled the Warwickshire air as the Adventure Bike Rider Festival returned to Ragley Hall for 2026 and promptly rewrote its own record books.
A total of 20,000 riders and pillions streamed through the gates from June 25-28, beating last year’s attendance figure by 2608 and underlining the four-day gathering’s place as one of the summer’s standout motorcycling fixtures.
Now in its seventh year, ABR has grown steadily in size and stature, yet somehow manages to retain the easy-going atmosphere that first put it on the map.
MCN joined the sun-soaked masses and caught up with Founder Alun Davies, who was characteristically matter-of-fact about the event’s continued rise.
“It’s no big secret. There’s no magic. It’s look after people,” he said. “If you’re coming to my festival, it’s my job to make sure you’re having a great time. If I’m putting a smile on your face, I’ve done it.”
By the numbers alone, ABR 2026 was sizeable. More than 14,000 test rides were logged across the weekend as queues formed early for a spin on the latest metal.
KTM , Ducati , Honda , Suzuki , Kawasaki , Royal Enfield , and BMW were all out in force, joined by fast-growing names including QJMotor , Voge , Kove and Hero with their incredibly good value Xpulse 200 . For many, it was a rare chance to sample back-to-back machinery on mixed terrain in a single day.
Riding, as ever, sat at the heart of the festival. Guided road routes peeled out of the estate in staggered groups, while off-road trails tested balance and bottle in equal measure.
Riders looking to sharpen their skills could tap into expert tuition from Phoenix Trails , BMW Off Road Skills and the Honda Adventure Centre , with everything from body positioning to brake control covered in the dirt.
“[It] attracts all kinds of bikers – adventure riders, sportsbike riders , off-roaders,” ABR visitor, Steven Rice from Chester told MCN. “There’s a bit of everything for everyone, really. There’s not much you can’t find here if you’re into your motorbikes.
“My favourite thing I’ve seen is probably going to be the new Norton superbike ,” Rice continued. “We actually managed to test ride one this morning – absolutely brilliant. An unbelievable machine, and very, very fast.”
The action didn’t stop when the helmets came off, either. Paddleboards and kayaks skimmed across the estate’s water, and bushcraft sessions offered a slower pace to the day.
With temperatures climbing into the 30s, the festival’s four music stages drew packed crowds late into the evening. Tribute acts including Absolute Bowie, Limehouse Lizzy and Let There B/DC kept spirits high, while even ‘The King’ made a rhinestone-clad appearance.
“Every manufacturer wants to get behind it,” Mark Kingham, Director of Roadskin motorcycle clothing , added. “That’s what’s good about it. You can get everything you want to see in one place.”
On the multiple stages across the site, big-name speakers delivered standing-room-only sessions. Richard Hammond, Carl Fogarty, Elspeth Beard, and Charley Boorman shared stories from the road, while round-the-world pioneer Ted Simon reflected on a lifetime of travel.
“The amazing thing about this event is that it seems to swallow up 20,000 people without too much indigestion,” Simon told MCN with a smile.
For ABR’s Alun Davies, that balance is crucial, adding, “We’ll never get that big, and it would destroy the essence of this because we encourage people to come and r…