bike festa South Tyrol in Brixen – The Recap
Four days of bikes and brands, test rides and brilliant atmosphere
List of ingredients for the bikefesta
Ingredients: Take a historic old town at the foot of the Plose, loads of bikes fresh from the workshops of the trendiest brands, a dash of the South Tyrolean way of life, and people who enjoy talking about jumps and singletrack just as much as they enjoy riding them. Add to that a few rather unusual bike (art) concepts, guided test rides, trails, fresh apple strudel and a good dose of curiosity.
And there you have it: the very first, brand-new bike festa South Tyrol.
From 17 to 20 September 2026 Brixen – once again – became the stage. This time, however, not for light art, South Tyrolean wine culture or traditional crafts, but for a premiere where everything revolved around cycling for four days. We were right in the thick of it and, despite our many years of experience with festivals and ‘Testival’, we were amazed at just how many aspects and perspectives on cycling a bike festival can cover. Or, as project manager Vera Profanter put it so aptly: “We’re celebrating the bike and the people.”
From Cathedral Square to the trail – and back again
A cycling event, a few laps on the Plose, or perhaps a visit to the town?
At the bike festa, you could do all that and much more at the same time. Renowned exhibitors lined up right on Domplatz, whilst in the cobbled streets of the old town, people were trying out bikes and chatting shop. Meanwhile, just a few pedal strokes away, brilliantly guided tours took participants out into the countryside around Brixen – or, to put it to the test, straight up to the Plose to the Brixen Bike Park. Most of the guided rides were actually fully booked – hardly surprising, given that there was something for every taste and ability, from gravel bikes to mountain bikes and e-bikes .
In between: Urban rides, workshops, test rides and plenty of opportunities for what’s just as important at a cycling event: swapping stories, having a natter, having a look around, giving things a go and getting to know people. It was precisely this mix that could be felt everywhere at the premiere of the bike festa Brixen.
Innovation – to feel and touch
As you strolled across Domplatz, you almost inevitably found yourself at the Innovation Gallery: the transparent domed tent in the heart of the Old Town was more than just an exhibition; it was more of a think tank for cycling and mobility ideas, where there were plenty of futuristic concepts to discover. Take, for example, the HEPHA Urban X, which completely reimagines urban e-mobility. Or the low-tail cargo bikes from Sayle. Or the Canyon Lux Era – a full-suspension concept bike with 32-inch wheels, an upside-down fork and a rather unusual cockpit.
In short: anyone who thought that everything had already been invented and technically explored in the cycling sector experienced one or two ‘aha’ moments in the Gallery.
Particularly exciting: the developers, designers and product managers were there in person and available for quick questions or in-depth discussions. Asking questions, discussing, having things explained – why a bike is actually built that way and what this innovation is actually meant to offer mountain bikers.
The bike as a total work of art
For our team on the ground, that was precisely the greatest strength of the premiere in Brixen: the bike festa didn’t want to reduce cycling to a single discipline, but rather to showcase it in all its facets – from the road to singletrack, from e-bikes and urban bikes to cargo bikes. The only things louder than the live acts were the kids trying out the obstacle course, whole school classes gaining their first cycling experiences and turning Brixen’s old town into a race track during the Kids Race. Simply youth development at its finest – that’s exactly how you get young and old alike excited.
As Brixen simply cannot do without art, a Brompton G Line was spontaneously transformed into a work of art in the Art Corner:
Jule Borths, alias I Draw On Bikes, and Arkadij Blinow designed the bike live on site, combining art and cycling. It was precisely this breadth of cycling that project manager Vera Profanter had aimed for from the very beginning: “What made it special – and this was clear to everyone – was that we managed to involve almost every category of bike, from balance bikes and specialist bikes right through to high-end road bikes.”
When the ride ends at the apple strudel …
… then it’s pretty clear that you’re in South Tyrol for the season finale. After all, the bike festa in Brixen wouldn’t be a proper South Tyrolean festa if a bit of indulgence didn’t come into play at some point. Alongside brand, ride & people, gusto was, of course, also an integral part of the programme. The apple sommelier, in particular, was a real crowd-puller – with him, you could sample the various facets of South Tyrolean apples to your heart’s content. Sometimes, a warm apple strudel and a cold apple juice are the real reason for the ride. And perhaps that’s also the most fitting description of the bike festa:
Cycling can be a sporting activity. But it doesn’t have to be.
Four days, four facets – and a thoroughly successful premiere
Brand, Ride, People and Gusto – the bike festa brought these four worlds of experience together for its debut. What sounded like a concept on paper was actually quite tangible in Brixen: brands and people, sport and enjoyment, technology and creativity all came together in the heart of the town – from personal exchanges to the Ride Out.
Our verdict after four days: The bike festa South Tyrol didn’t set out to be just another traditional bike festival, but rather to show us in every possible way what cycling and biking can be today.
The date for the next edition has already been set – so save the date:
- bike festa South Tyrol 2027
- 16–19 September 2027
- in and around Brixen, South Tyrol
- Target groups: mountain bikers and anyone who loves cycling
- Certified GreenEvent
So, once the inaugural event is over, it’s time to look forward to the next Festa, where the charming episcopal town at the entrance to the Eisack Valley can once again prove that:
Brixen is all about cycling. And in quite a few different ways.
