ABR Festival 2026 | First Time at the UK’s Biggest Adventure Bike Rider Festival

We have just returned from our first ABR Festival, where my husband, our 12-year-old son, and I spent an unforgettable weekend at the UK’s biggest adventure bike rider festival. It was a weekend full of motorcycles, good vibes, live music, and more than 20,000 people.

Let me say upfront: we loved it. This article is an honest ABR Festival review based on our experience, mixed with useful practical information.

Before I start, I want to let you know that I’ll be posting more videos and pictures over the following days on my socials. You can find me at @alexandrainengland.

How did we get to ABR Festival?

ABR Festival takes place at Ragley Hall Estate in Warwickshire, England. Even though it’s a motorcycle festival, we travelled by car like many others. With the three of us, we needed the extra space to fit everything in.

The plan was to attach the trailer so we could bring the motorbike with us, but things don’t always go as planned, so that wasn’t an option anymore.

Where did we sleep at the ABR Festival?

We could choose between camping, glamping or a pre-pitched tent. Camping meant bringing our own tent, glamping meant staying in the big, bell-shaped tents with proper beds inside, while pre-pitched referred to a tent that was already set up and waiting for us on arrival. Other options were available too, including campervans, motorhomes and accessible camping, but we didn’t have a motorhome or caravan, and accessible camping was available for visitors with disabilities.

We went for a pre-pitched tent, which turned out to be a great choice. Ours was a 4-person tent with two rooms and a hallway in between. We also booked a few extras, a double mattress and two chairs, which was especially handy since we arrived later in the day and didn’t have to worry about setting anything up.

Our Adventure Bike Festival 2026 Experience

The ABR Festival offered everything from motorcycles and on-the-spot or pre-booked test rides to brand showcases, independent brands and exhibitors, tuning, talks, and motorcycle tours operators.

There were also concerts, a silent disco, food and shops, bushcraft activities, axe throwing, water sports, a film festival, and a photo exhibition, plus plenty more.

The ABR activities we took part in with our 12-year-old son included the Isle of Man racing simulation, rifle shooting, a talk, and an intimate live music set on the Traveller’s Tales Stage. We also enjoyed good food, a photo exhibition, a film screening, evening concerts, motorcycles, and the overall great atmosphere.

What Surprised Us

The place is so big that according to the festival map, a Honda bus was running a circuit of the festival grounds every 20 minutes up to 12 o’clock at midnight.

No signal. There was no signal. The internet was not working, I couldn’t place a call, nothing. Felt like the old times. I quite miss it. We had to stick together.

One health benefit that ABR festival brought us was improved HRV. I am not joking. My husband’s heart rate variability increased by 20 milliseconds.

Even though there were 20,000 people, it didn’t feel crowded. I think it was because the site was spread out and at any given moment, plenty of riders were off exploring the routes or out on test rides.

Tips for First-Timers

Book your accommodation early. Glamping and pre-pitched tents tend to sell out well before the festival itself, sometimes before general tickets even do. If you don’t fancy bringing your own tent, don’t leave this until the last minute.

Keep the festival map with you. As soon as you arrive, you’ll receive a wristband (or multiple, depending on your ticket) and a festival map. One side shows the site layout, the other includes the timetable, very useful.

Expect little to no phone signal. This catches a lot of first-timers off guard. Agree on a meeting point with your group in advance, as you won’t be able to rely on calls or messages if you get separated.

Bring cash as a backup.

If you’re testing bikes, bring your driving licence. You’ll also need a DVLA check code, which you can get at gov.uk, just note it expires after 21 days, so generate it close to your festival dates rather than too far in advance.

Pack for sun and rain. British summer weather is unpredictable, so both sun cream and a waterproof layer are worth packing.

Under-16s don’t need a ticket, but they must be accompanied by an adult. At check-in, they’ll be given a different-coloured wristband displaying a carer’s contact number, a handy safety feature if you’re planning to bring your children.

Use the on-site shuttle bus if walking feels like too much. The site is genuinely huge, and there’s a bus circuit running throughout the day and into the evening.

Don’t try to do everything. With test rides, trails, talks, exhibitors, and live music all happening at once, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. Pick a few things that matter most to you and let the rest be a bonus.

Check your confirmation email for entrance details before you set off. There are separate entrances for motorcycles and for cars/other vehicles. Using the wrong entrance postcode can lead to delays.

Moments That Stood Out

I’m not a rider myself, my husband is, but a few moments from the weekend have stuck with me.

The Royal Enfield tent made a strong impression on us. The custom motorcycles were stunning, and it was hard not to stop and admire them.

My husband booked two test rides, one on the Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX SE and the other on a BMW GS Adventure. Shall I tell you how they go?

Then there was the Ducati stand, with its striking red and yellow motorcycles lined up like works of art, and the KTM x Red Bull bike which stopped us both in our tracks. I was especially happy to see it, as I am a Max Verstappen fan.

Friday night ended with Let There B/DC, an AC/DC tribute band, who brought incredible energy to the crowd. It was our son’s first rock concert, and he loved it. How exciting!

On Saturday night, while we were walking back to our tent, we could hear people singing together at the Silent Disco from the other side of the river, Bohemian Rhapsody, carrying across the dark. We could see the lights and hear their voices in the distance. It gave me goosebumps, because it was lovely to see and hear people coming together!

Will we attend Adventure Bike Rider Festival next year?

We have already bought tickets for ABR 2027 and it’s not even been a week since the festival ended.

ABR Festival 2026 was a fantastic experience for us, and I felt at peace from the moment we arrived. Everywhere we looked, there were motorcycles. It was beautiful! Have you ever been to a motorcycle festival? How did you find it?

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