BMW Motorrad Days 2027 cancelled: Where to instead of Garmisch?

It's news that many BMW riders will need a moment to digest: The BMW Motorrad Days will not return to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2027. That consigns to history the future prospects BMW had only outlined in 2025 for the traditional venue at the foot of the Hausberg.

After the premiere in Seefeld in 2001, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was home to the big BMW gathering from 2002 to 2019. After Corona came two editions in Berlin, before BMW returned to Bavaria in 2024 under the motto "Coming hoam".

The next edition was supposed to follow in 2027. Now it's clear: that's not happening. BMW justifies this latest change of course with an international realignment. Instead of a single big event on one weekend, regional and international formats are meant to move closer to the customers.

But that doesn't necessarily have to be bad news for BMW fans.

Anyone who loved Garmisch for its mix of bikes, mountains, group rides and evening petrolhead pub-talk should mark 13 to 20 June 2027 in their calendar right now. That's when the next Newchurch Summit kicks off in Neukirchen am Großvenediger, with the big weekend of test rides, off-road area, stunt shows and concerts running from 17 to 20 June.

After all, Neukirchen offers much of what makes it worth heading into the Alps on a bike for several days in the first place. Twisty roads start right on your doorstep, the Hohe Tauern surround you, and instead of a long slog out of the venue after breakfast, you're quickly right in the middle of the twisties.

For visitors from Germany, too, Newchurch remains - depending on where you set off from - a classic journey into the Alps. In return, a motorcycling region awaits at the destination that has plenty to offer from a riding perspective. Here, it's not just the festival itself that's the goal - the journey there is already part of the weekend.

We know that the partnership between BMW Motorrad and the Newchurch Summit works.

At the Newchurch Summit 2026, BMW was present with an extensive programme. Practically the entire model range was available for guided test rides, and BMW also showcased itself in the Main Area with a large static exhibition.

On tarmac, visitors could take the current BMW models out on guided test rides over the roads around Neukirchen. In 2026, the Newchurch Summit brought together more than 140 test bikes from eleven manufacturers in total; at the end, 1,245 test rides and more than 43,500 test kilometres had been clocked.

BMW didn't limit itself to tarmac either. Together with the Enduro Park Hechlingen, visitors could learn the basics of enduro riding on the GS models on a dedicated off-road site. On top of that came BMW Motorrad Summit Rides into the surrounding mountains.

Anyone wanting to see what the big adventure bikes are capable of was also well catered for: the German team of the International GS Trophy showed off their skills in several demonstrations. A double-decker shuttle connected the festival grounds with the off-road area.

Fitting right in was the custom scene, which at Newchurch has traditionally been a much bigger part of the festival character than at a classic product exhibition. Custom builds, retro bikes and hand-crafted one-offs are simply part of the streetscape there. A dedicated Freedom Zone with a Custom Bike Show, Retro Rides and matching exhibitors is also planned for 2027.

For me, this is exactly where one of the big differences to the Motorrad Days lies.

Garmisch thrived almost exclusively on its BMW community. Anyone who's been there knows the mix of thousands of Boxers, GS riders from half of Europe and the feeling that, for one weekend, the whole town seems to be painted white and blue.

Newchurch works a little differently. The festival is completely open to all brands, and everyone is welcome. BMW stands alongside Honda, Triumph, KTM, CF Moto and other manufacturers. In 2026, for example, eleven brands were represented with test bikes. For visitors, that means you can set off on a BMW in the morning and try out a bike from a completely different manufacturer an hour later.

I don't see that as a drawback. Quite the opposite: it's precisely this mix that creates a certain laid-back vibe. You don't come solely for one brand, but for the community and the appeal of trying out bikes from different manufacturers. By the evening at the latest, the focus shifts to the town centre anyway, for partying and enjoying the music.

Newchurch sees itself much more as a motorcycle festival. In 2026, alongside the test rides, the programme featured numerous stunt shows, the Globe of Speed, street entertainment and live music on several stages every evening. Among those on hand were Sarah Lezito, Rok Bagoroš and Bernd Hiemer; in the evenings, various bands played until well after midnight. That gives Newchurch a dose of coolness that goes beyond a classic brand event.

Then there's the scenery. Neukirchen sits right at the foot of the Großvenediger and thus in the heart of the Hohe Tauern. Anyone who liked riding to Garmisch for the mountains certainly won't be taking a step away from the Alps scenically - rather, they'll be moving up (at least) one level.

In my view, though, the decisive factor is the combination: great riding roads by day and a proper festival programme by night. You don't have to choose between a bike meet, a touring weekend and a music festival there.

Officially, the answer is: No, and that's not the aim 1000PS is pursuing with the Newchurch Summit either.

For many riders, though, the reality could look surprisingly similar: the big BMW date in Garmisch is gone for 2027, while the Newchurch Summit is already locked in for June 2027. At the same time, BMW showed in Neukirchen in 2026 just how extensively the brand can present itself there.

What's more, talks between BMW Motorrad and 1000PS about renewed participation in the Newchurch Summit 2027 are going very well. Either way, we'd be delighted to see lots of BMW riders there.

What I always liked about the BMW Motorrad Days was that there was more going on than just rows of bikes on manufacturer stands. You met people from other countries, rode through the mountains together and, for one weekend, had the feeling that everything revolved around bikes.

You'll find exactly that feeling at Newchurch too - just more brand-open and with a stronger festival character.

So maybe the big BMW weekend in the Alps isn't really disappearing after all. Maybe in 2027 you'll just ride a few kilometres further, to Newchurch.