For a few glorious days in June, thousands of us came together in the magnificent grounds of the Ragley Hall Estate to celebrate our passion for motorcycles and travel.
What followed was something very special, an event that will stay rooted in the hearts and minds of those of us who can say, ‘we were there,’ for many years to come.
This is the story of the 2024 ABR Festival.
It began with the sound of engines: boxer twins, inline fours, triples, thumpers, and more, all firing up excitedly.
The tranquillity of the Ragley Hall Estate amid its thousands of acres of manicured grounds had been shattered.
In its place, the raucous roar of hundreds of motorcycles throbbing in the morning air. The sense of excitement was tangible.
Every helmet I looked at contained a pair of expectant eyes beaming back at me.
They were all waiting for the signal to unleash four days of action and entertainment like you’ve never seen before. Hearts were thumping, throttles were revving, the gates opened, and the moment had arrived.
The 2024 ABR Festival was about to begin.
Early Bird tickets to the ABR Festival 2025 are on sale now. For a limited time, you can snap up weekend tickets to the UK’s biggest motorcycle festival for just £139, with camping included.
Early Bird tickets give you a huge saving of £40 on full price tickets. You can get yours today by clicking right here.
A parade of motorbikes snaking up the drive of Ragley Hall marked the start of the action.
Proudly leading the way was ABR founder Alun astride a BMW R 1300 GS, with myself and the festival’s chief marshal Craig flanking him. The experience was exhilarating.
Occasionally, I’d glance in the mirror and marvel at the sea of riders stretching down the hill behind me.
Bikers from all corners of the UK, Europe and beyond had come together to share their love of motorbikes, travel, and adventure.
For me, leading them to their destination, past rows of flags fluttering in the summer breeze, was a special moment and one that will stay with me for a long time.
It was VIP Thursday and the dedicated camping field soon looked like it had been sprinkled with hundreds and thousands as tents popped up, panniers were unpacked, and Ragley Hall was made a home from home.
Those who had bought VIP tickets then got to enjoy the ABR Festival at its most relaxed before the gates opened to weekend ticket holders the following morning.
A glorious summer’s day soon turned to a hazy evening as Dr Feelgood headlined the BikerHeadz Stage, belting out hits such as Milk and Alcohol in front of so many smiling faces.
The atmosphere was alive with expectation and a sense of community that’s been the hallmark of ABR festivals since its earliest days.
At its simplest, we’re a group of friends sharing a common bond. There are just a few more of us doing it these days.
The hits kept coming, the beer flowed, and the sound of music and laughter danced on the evening air. And talking of dancing, there was plenty of that going on to.
SADDLE UP
There were a few hangovers being nursed the next morning, but the Mitas Pitstops serving free tea and coffee helped set people up for a day of action. And boy, what a day we had ahead of us.
With weekend ticket holders now streaming through the gates of Ragley Hall, the festival was soon in full swing, the sound of engines providing a constant soundtrack.
At its heart, the ABR Festival is about riding bikes, and this year there were more opportunities to do that than ever. The world’s leading motorcycle manufacturers had scoured the continent for every test ride bike they could get their hands on.
From the new BMW R 1300 GS to the Ducati DesertX Rally, and the Yamaha Ténéré 700 Extreme to the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, people had unprecedented access to ride the latest and greatest motorcycles on the planet. In fact, a whopping 10,000 test rides were taken over the four days of the festival.
And then of course there were more than 40km of off-road trails to play on. This included the magnificent Bridgestone Trail that weaved its way through the grounds of the Ragley Hall Estate for 30km.
From vast open grasslands to forest tracks, there were routes for people of all abilities with plenty of riders beaming from ear to ear after taking their adventure bikes off road for the first time. And because there was a strict no racing policy and a 30mph speed limit, the vibe was friendly and the riding relaxed as people explored the heart of England on two wheels.
For those wanting to gain some skill and confidence before taking to the trails, the Phoenix Trails Off Road Training Zone was the place to be.
In fact, it was awash with 11 of the UK’s leading training schools including Phoenix Trails, Honda Adventure Centre, BMW Off Road Skills, Yamaha Off Road Experience, Ducati Adventure Academy, and many more.
And the best part was the fact you didn’t need to worry about dropping or damaging your own bike. You could use one of the schools’ machines instead.
FAMOUS FACES
While there were plenty of opportunities to ride, the ABR Festival has grown over the years to the extent that you could happily leave your bike parked up for the entire event and still have a brilliant time. And that’s exactly what some people did, with some of the best entertainment to be found across the four stages that played host to more than 40 speakers.
Among the megastars of the adventure biking world to pass on their knowledge and expertise were Ted Simon, Chris Birch, Vanessa Ruck (The Girl on a Bike), Adam Riemann, Elspeth Beard, Kinga Tanajewska (On Her Bike), The Missenden Flyer, and many more.
One of my favourite aspects of the ABR Festival is the fact we’re all in it together, so these motorcycling superstars relaxed with the rest of us when they weren’t on stage.
So, you could easily find yourself having a beer with Chris Birch or bumping into Nick Sanders throughout the weekend, and many people did just that.
I spent the majority of the festival hosting the ABR Magazine Travellers’ Tales Stage, which was decorated like a Bedouin tent and hands down the comfiest spot across the entire site.
And while I enjoyed interviewing all my guests on stage, it was having the opportunity to talk with Ted Simon, author of Jupiter’s Travels, and a hero of mine, that provided another one of those special festival moments to be treasured.
The Travellers’ Tales Stage was located inside the Adventure Arena which was packed with more than 140 of the world’s best gear brands, tour companies, and more.
I can’t think of anywhere else on the planet where you can compare and contrast all the latest motorcycle kit in one location while getting advice from the people who played a big role in designing and making it.
There were plenty of folks stocking up on kit and getting crucial advice for their next bike trip as the Adventure Arena thronged with people exploring the gear on display.
AMAZING SKILLS
Putting some of this kit, and bikes on display, through their paces were our team of world class riders performing some truly spectacular feats on two wheels in the GoPro Arena.
From wheelies, huge jumps, power slides, and more, it was astounding to watch the likes of Chris Birch, Adam Riemann, Jack Challoner, and Mick Extance show what big adventure bikes really are capable of in highly skilled hands.
The crowd cheered and gasped as a crop of the world’s best riders performed gravity defying feats in the grounds of Ragley Hall.
But as impressive as the riding was, and as much fun as we had getting stuck into all the festival action and entertainment each day, it was the times we all shared when the engines were switched off and the party started that will last longest in my memory.
With 19 bands and performers playing across three stages, and 12 bars to get a drink in, it was easy to find the vibe that best suited you.
The BikerHeadz Stage rocked throughout the festival with a sensational line up of cover bands playing songs from the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Oasis, Led Zeppelin, and many more.
But the moments that stood out for me were marvellously unexpected. Hearing the world-renowned Treorchy Male Voice Choir belting out Men of Harlech or stumbling upon a performance of Brazilian carnival act Viramundo kicking off the party with samba, bossa nova, and Afro-Brazilian beats on the Bridgestone Stage.
But the standout moment for me was when I was stood watching hundreds of adventure bike riders dancing with joyous abandon to ‘90s Ibiza classics played by international DJ Krystal Roxx.
It was the last thing you’d expect to see at a bike festival, and one of the best moments of the entire event. That is one of the greatest joys of the ABR Festival, the fact that no matter what bike you ride, what music you like, where you’re from, whether you ride on or off road, how far you’ve travelled, or what walk of life you’re from, we’re all bonded by a common passion.
And we have a damn good time celebrating it together.
Come and join us for ABR 2025
Alun Davies, the founder of ABR looks ahead to next year’s festival
Before I say anything else, I want to thank you for making ABR 24 such an amazing and special event.
Without you, the festival would just be the ABR staff and myself sitting in a big field. It’s you and all the other ABR Festival goers that bring the event alive.
We host it, you breath the life into it and I will never forget that. Thank you.
I hope you enjoyed the 2024 ABR Festival as much as we did. It truly did feel like we had one big family holiday at Ragley Hall.
Having been involved with ABR from day one, so many special moments stood out for me over the weekend but nothing, and I mean nothing, was better than seeing so many of you having such a great time in a wonderful surrounding. It really was very moving.
WHAT’S ABR 2025 GOING TO LOOK LIKE?
Well, we’re staying at Ragley Hall, plus there’s going to be more bikes, more trails, more festival, more entertainment, more music, more features, more trade stands, more services, more fun, more surprises and, most important of all, more good times.
You have my word that we will focus 100% of our time and attention on making the 2025 ABR Festival the best experience for you.
From 2025, we’re changing VIP Thursday to Super Thursday and we’ve got some big changes and surprises in mind, which I’m sure you’re going to love.
We’ve also added brand new sections to the on-site trails, which now offer a combined total of over 50km of off-road riding opportunities, something you’d be very hard pressed to find anywhere else in the UK.
I’m also determined to carry over that friendly vibe which has been a hallmark of ABR Festivals from the word go. As I’ve always said, I’m only going to organise a festival that I would like to go to, and this year’s event was another one of those.
Get your early bird tickets for ABR 2025
Early Bird tickets to the ABR Festival 2025 are on sale now. For a limited time, you can snap up weekend tickets to the UK’s biggest motorcycle festival for just £139, with camping included.
Early Bird tickets give you a huge saving of £40 on full price tickets. You can get yours today by clicking right here.
