The ABR Festival 2019 was a roaring success. These photos tell the story of that wonderful weekend in July.
Words: Bryn Davies photos: Pierre Maelzer and Kevin William
On the weekend of 12-14 July 2019, we welcomed 2,000 adventure motorcycling enthusiasts to the stunning grounds of Ragley Hall, Warwickshire. It was the second annual Adventure Bike Rider Festival, but the first in which we’d gone all out with a grade-a venue and visitor numbers over 500. It took months of planning and preparation, but from the moment the first riders arrived at 9 am on that Friday morning, to the last guests leaving on Sunday night, we had a fantastic time.
Judging by the many smiles and overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received, it sounds like those who came did as well. The whole weekend wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our headline sponsors, Bridgestone and their Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tyres, and our partners, TomTom, REV’IT!, Brittany Ferries, Bennetts, and Muc-Off. Across the three days of the festival, there was so much going on that it was impossible to get bored.
Big names from the world of adventure motorcycling, including Elspeth Beard, Billy Ward and Simon and Lisa Thomas, took to the Great Hall to talk about their epic journeys, an on-site adventure trail and adventure park allowed riders to give their bikes a go in the dirt, trade stands from some of the best brands in the industry offered bargains and useful kit, and all of the major motorcycle manufacturers were there with their test fleets of adventure bikes, offering test rides both on and off-road. Yamaha even launched the Tenere 700 to the public here!
Evenings were celebrated with live music on the REV’IT! stage and cheap beer at the Bridgestone bar (£3 for a pint at a festival, can you believe it?), and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a dance floor at a bike festival as full as it was on Saturday night when everyone was bopping to the soul-filled sounds of The Official Receivers.
The 2019 Adventure Bike Rider Festival was one of the best weekends we at Adventure Bike Rider magazine have ever had. Of course, we put in the hard work to make it happen, but it would have been pretty dull if it was just us sat in a field by ourselves, and it was you guys who made it the resounding success that it was!
So, we want to extend a huge thank you to those who came, and also to every single exhibitor and manufacturer who supported the festival, you made 2019 very special. For those who didn’t come, you missed out, but don’t worry, tickets are on sale for 2020 now! Head to www.bit.ly/ABRfest2020 where Early Bird tickets are on sale for £49 for the weekend (usually £89).
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