MCL and ABR Festival join forces for 2026 and beyond

MCL (formerly Motorcycle Live), the UK’s largest and most influential motorcycle show has announced a collaboration with the ABR Festival, the UK’s leading motorcycle festival, which will see ABR come to life at the NEC this year. The two main UK-based industry events have joined forces to bring the feel  and flavour of the celebrated ABR Festival indoors this November, delivering a dynamic programme of talks, interviews and live sessions featuring some of the most inspiring names in motorcycling and adventure.

The alliance unites two of the most recognisable and respected brands in UK motorcycling. MCL has long been the central meeting point for riders, industry and media, while ABR Festival has built a loyal and highly engaged audience through its events, editorial platforms and authentic storytelling within the adventure riding space.

The all-new ABR Festival at MCL26 will feature a diverse line-up of riders, explorers, racers, industry leaders and cultural voices from across the world of adventure motorcycling. The programme will include headline interviews, expedition stories, expert panels and live entertainment, designed to inspire, inform and entertain audiences throughout the event.

This new partnership reflects a shared ambition from MCL and ABR Festival to better represent the growing importance of adventure motorcycling within the wider industry, as well as providing almost 100,000 visitors with more entertainment than ever.

Finlay McAllan, Managing Director, MCL, said:

As someone who’s a massive fan of the ABR Festival, bringing a smaller version to MCL is something I’m really excited about! We work hard all year round to ensure each successive show is better than the last, and this collaboration with Alun [Davies, ABR Festival] and the ABR team will give our visitors not only a real taste of the Festival during winter, but provide some fascinating content that many may never have seen before.

Alun Davies, Founder, ABR Festival, said:

ABR Festival has always been about celebrating the people, stories and spirit of motorcycling, so partnering with MCL, the UK’s biggest and most influential motorcycle show, is a natural fit. The Main Stage gives us a powerful platform to bring those stories to life in front of a wider audience, showcasing the wow factor of the ABR Festival. We’re excited to work together to create something that is inspiring, entertaining and genuinely representative of modern motorcycling.

ABR Festival at MCL26 will form a central feature of the event, bringing together the show’s scale and industry influence with ABR Festival’s community, storytelling and adventure expertise.

A call for speaker submissions and session ideas for the ABR Festival Stage will be released in the coming weeks.