Biggest Free-to-Attend Motorcycle Festival in Britain
Probably most notably known for the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Hastings became a hub for Bikers around England. Thousands of bikers visit the town every Monday after the May weekend bank holiday to have a nice ride out.
A year from the publishing date (06/05/2020), in 2019, this spectacular gathering of bikers from all across Europe attended this semi-improvised congregation of bikers.
"It almost became a rite of passage for bikers. You had to go and do your Mayday run if you were sort of a biker in the southeast."
The first thing you realise when you arrive is that the Bike Run is not a traditional motor festival. It's a gathering of different bikers who rode down to the coast to enjoy a nice ride and a plate of fish and chips. It’s an improvised congregation of bikers.
Oddly enough, this semi-organised gathering has an unexpectedly casual history. Traditionally, the route for the Mayday Bike run starts in a little town named Locksbottom, in Orpington, and then goes down for 50 miles; through Tonbridge to the Sussex coast in Hastings. It’s around an hour's drive.