UK - The stunning backdrop of the historic Ragley Hall in Warwickshire once again played host to the Adventure Bike Rider (ABR) Festival 2024, the UK’s biggest motorcycle festival returning to the estate for its fifth year.
Henley Theatre Services was commissioned by the festival organisers to provide all the stages, technical production support and onsite technical crew to operate the main Bikerhead Stage and five further stages located at various positions across the ABR Festival site.
Adventure motorcycling enthusiasts from around the globe geared up for a celebration of freedom, exploration and community from 27-30 June 2024. Fifteen thousand bikers descended on the beautiful Ragley Hall estate over a sun-packed weekend, which provided the perfect location for guided test ride events with 29 leading motorcycle manufacturers.
The Milos MR2K roof structure was constructed by the Henley Theatre Services team providing the festival’s main music stage - The Bikerhead stage, located close to Ragley Hall’s picturesque lake and adjacent to the tented Spada Bar and Street Food Market. The Bikerhead stage provided a comprehensive programme of live music over four days, the first day for VIP guests only. A number of the UK’s top tribute bands performed, ranging from U2UK to The Smyths, Red Hot Chilli Peppers UK and kicking off proceedings with Definitely Might Be, an Oasis tribute act
Milos 290 truss and Xstage S9 formed the main structural elements and stage construction at ABR’s five other stages, built under canopies in prime locations across the Festival site. The stages offered masterclasses, guest speakers and over 60 talks including The Bridgestone Stage, located under a cool canopy concept providing a new dimension to the entertainment programme.
The Bridgestone Stage hosted an eclectic mix of entertainment from top DJs, and dance troupes to world-class choirs and some of the biggest names in adventure biking from across the globe who took to the stage to share their tales and stories with packed audiences throughout the event.
Joe Morris, director of Henley Theatre Services, said: “The team did an outstanding job delivering a festival of this scale in what is always an incredibly busy time for the company. The MR2K 12m stage is the perfect centrepiece for the event, giving the production team plenty of room for speedy changeovers when combined with an access ramp and Layher cowsheds.”
The weekend-long celebration of all things adventure riding and off-road enjoyment featured plenty of highlights. The Henley Theatre Services team was located at all the main festival stages, ensuring technical operations and the delivery of the comprehensive programme ran smoothly throughout the event. The ABR Festival will return to the Ragley Hall Estate from 27-29 June 2025.
