The Traveller’s Tales tent, familiar faces, a silent disco, daily ticket giveaways and the chance to win an ultimate ABR Festival weekend for two. Here’s what you can get stuck into in the ABR Festival Zone at MCL this November 21-29.
Back in April, we announced that we were bringing a taste of the ABR Festival to MCL in the NEC. You’d been asking for a winter get-together, and we’re making it happen.
Since then, we’ve been putting the pieces together, and if you’ve been missing the people, stories, and atmosphere of Ragley, there’s plenty to look forward to.
We’re bringing the Traveller’s Tales tent, welcoming some well-known riders and travellers, and putting together nine days of talks and practical sessions. There’ll also be the chance to win an ultimate ABR Festival package including glamping, Festival photo experiences, music, and a few opportunities for you to try your luck.
A little bit of Ragley, indoors
At the heart of the ABR Festival Zone will be the iconic Bedouin-style Traveller’s Tales tent complete with its themed interior and comfortable seating. Step inside and you’ll be transported to a different continent, regaled by tales of adventure and travel on two wheels.
Outside, there’ll be picnic tables, bunting and festoon lights, with Festival films playing around the stand.
It’s the ideal spot to meet your mates, catch up with people you haven’t seen since June, and talk about where you’re all riding next.
Your next ABR Festival weekend could look like this…
We’ll be re-creating the ultimate ABR Festival set-up, complete with a glamping tent, and it could be yours to call home next summer. There’ll be a chance to win a weekend for two, complete with glamping accommodation, Thursday entry, and plenty of other goodies.
We’ll share the full prize details and how to enter ahead of the show
Put yourself in the picture
Fancy leading the ABR Festival Parade? Or taking on the Bog of Doom without spending the evening picking mud out of your nails?
We’ll be setting up two photo experiences which will take you to the heart of each moment. Take a seat on the bike, get someone behind the camera and strike your best adventure-rider pose.
The familiar Welcome to the ABR Festival sign will be there too.
Your next adventure starts here
We’re putting together a program of talks across all nine days of MCL, and you can join the likes of Elspeth Beard, Sam Manicom, and Austin Vince as they tell tales of their adventures on two wheels. They’ll be appearing alongside names like Dave Thorpe, Vanessa Ruck, Ryan Pyle, Jacqui Fureaux, and many more.
To give you a taste of what to expect, legendary adventure-biking author Sam Manicom explores what holds us back from a bigger trip in The Curiosity Factor, while Austin Vince makes the case for Spain as one of Europe’s great trail-riding destinations.
Saffy Sprocket tackles another familiar obstacle in The Broke Way Everywhere. She’ll share how she toured Switzerland on £28 a day, exploring the compromises and travel hacks that can make an adventure possible when the prices suggest otherwise. This one’s worth a listen if your ambitions are healthier than your bank balance.
Simon and Steff from The Wandering Honda will ask: Could You Ride the Trans Morocco Trail? Expect an honest account of the route, what it takes to ride it, and how you can do it yourself.
Meanwhile, in Small Bike, Big Adventure, Nathan Millward, who rode from Australia to the UK on a postie bike, will explore the pros and cons of downsizing your bike, from packing and route planning to how a smaller bike might change your approach to travel.
We’ll reveal the full day-by-day line-up and timetable soon, so you can choose when to visit and which talks to catch.
A little know-how goes a long way
Getting fired up about adventure is one thing. Knowing how to prepare for it, and what to do when things go wrong, is another.
Phoenix Trails will cover adventure riding basics, Andrew Richardson from JUSTRIDE will explore bringing adventure routes to life, and The TRF will explain how you can get started in greenlaning.
There’ll also be advice on preparing and protecting your bike for touring with Powerbronze, plus tyre changing and roadside repairs, and motorcycle camping with Roel Bremmers from Mosko Moto. Useful knowledge to have before you find yourself staring at a flat tyre a long way from anywhere.
A silent disco with a practical twist
It wouldn’t be an ABR Festival without music, so we’re putting another ABR Festival favourite to good use: our silent disco headphones.
If you fancy listening to the talks from outside the Traveller’s Tales tent, collect a pair and tune directly into the speaker for crystel clear audio and no straining to hear what’s being said.
Between talks, we’ll switch to the sounds of the ABR Festival, with playlists from 2027’s Bridgestone and BikerHeadz line-ups. Sit back and enjoy the music, or get up and have a dance.
We’re very much hoping you choose the latter!
First look at the ABR Festival 2027 T-Shirt
The new 2027 ABR Festival T-Shirt will make its debut at the merch stall, alongside other ABR favourites and magazine subscription offers.
You can also try your luck on Spin the Wheel, with Festival tickets and other ABR prizes up for grabs.
And, of course, the ABR team will be there. Come and tell us where you’ve been riding, ask about next summer’s Festival, or book your tickets while you’re with us.
Make a day of it
There’s plenty to explore beyond the ABR Festival Zone, too.
On Saturday 21 November, Charley Boorman, Elspeth Beard, and Glenn Irwin will join James Witham and Grace Webb on MCL’s Super Stage before heading to the Zerofit stand for meet-and-greet sessions, with plenty more guests across the show still to be announced.
Elsewhere, you can see the latest bikes in the flesh for the first time, try something different in the Elite Test Ride Zone, catch the stunt and trials displays at the Moto Action Show, or enjoy live music in the Live Lounge, Amplified by Yamaha.
Check MCL’s website for more information.
Come and join us this November
AI-representation of the ABR Festival Zone at MCL 2026
You’ll find the ABR Festival Zone in Hall 3 at MCL, NEC Birmingham, from 21-29 November 2026.
Standard advance tickets start at £25 for a weekday visit. If you could do with a new rucksack, the £36.50 Adult + Spada Rucksack option includes admission on any one day and a Spada rucksack worth £44.99. You can’t say fairer than that.
Advance admission tickets are available until 5pm on Friday 20 November, and MCL is also subsidising NEC parking, with £10 parking available when booked by 23:59 on Thursday 19 November. Book your discounted parking here.
Put the date in your diary, round up the ABR Festival gang, and come and join us.
We’ll see you there.
