In addition to its big-time NASCAR history, Daytona Beach also has a longtime connection with motorcycles, a link that’s celebrated annually in grand style at two major events: Biketoberfest and Bike Week.
This year’s Biketoberfest 2025 is only weeks away, a countdown to one of Daytona Beach’s beloved fall rituals.
The more streamlined offspring of the mammoth spring Bike Week motorcycle gathering, Biketoberfest 2025 will unfold Oct. 16-19 in Daytona Beach and throughout Volusia and Flagler counties.
Now in its 33rd year, the event typically draws an estimated crowd of 100,000 motorcycle riders and fans.
If that event revs your engine, you’ll also want to mark your calendar for Bike Week 2026, a 10-day gathering that draws even more motorcycles and the people who love them.
What’s in store for Biketoberfest 2025 event? Here’s what you need to know:
Where is Biketoberfest 2025?
The heart of the event is in Daytona Beach, specifically at the people-watching (and motorcycle-watching) hub of Main Street, from the Halifax River east to Atlantic Avenue.
Yet the events and riding opportunities extend throughout Volusia and Flagler counties to include the scenic Ormond Loop, the charms of the bustling business districts in DeLand and New Smyrna Beach as well as coastal rides along State Road A1A in Flagler Beach.
What dates are Biketoberfest in Daytona?
This year’s edition of the four-day event is slated for Oct. 16-19 in Daytona Beach and throughout Volusia and Flagler counties.
Expect crowds to be the heaviest on the weekend days, when many bikers make day-tripper visits from other destinations throughout Central Florida.
How many bikers attend Biketoberfest?
Now in its 33rd year, the event typically draws an estimated crowd of 100,000 motorcycle riders and fans.
How much does it cost to attend Biketoberfest?
There’s no admission to visit the event, generally, beyond whatever it costs to travel, book hotel accommodations and dine.
There can be cover charges or admission fees to some of the area attractions, a list that includes the newly expanded Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure, among others.
What’s the history of Biketoberfest?
The fall motorcycle event was added to the annual calendar in 1992, when leaders at the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau came up with the idea of a fall motorcycle rally to boost area hotels, restaurants and other businesses during a traditionally slow time of year.
Is Biketoberfest as big as Bike Week?
Not quite.
Biketoberfest is a four-day event, while the annual Bike Week in the spring stretches across 10 days in Daytona Beach and across a broader swatch of Central Florida that includes Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, Orange, Brevard, St. Johns and Duval counties.
The estimated attendance for Bike Week is typically in the 300,000-400,000 range, according to the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates that event.
Where is Bike Week in 2026?
Like Biketoberfest, Bike Week marks its traditional hub along Main Street, just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean in Daytona Beach.
In recent years, however, the scope of the event has stretched far beyond the World’s Most Famous Beach and even outside Volusia and Flagler counties. Bike Week-themed events also can be found in Seminole, Orange, Brevard, St. Johns and Duval counties, as well.
What are the dates for Daytona Bike Week in 2026?
Bike Week 2026 in Daytona Beach is slated for Feb. 27-March 8, according to the event’s official website.
It’ll be a milestone year for the event, which will mark its 85th anniversary with 10 days of music, vendors, demonstrations and other motorcycle-themed diversions.
And, no, it’s not too early to be making plans. Bike Week 2026 started trending by late summer amid interest in the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August in South Dakota.
What are the must-do events at Biketoberfest 2025?
Here are a few of the not-to-be-missed activities at Biketoberfest:
Make it to Main Street. Although Biketoberfest has expanded its footprint over the years, ground zero is still Main Street, packed elbow-to-elbow and tailpipe-to-tailpipe with motorcycles, onlookers, street vendors, bands and unusual characters from the Main Street bridge to State Road A1A.
Ride the Ormond Loop. This famed 23-mile stretch from Birthplace of Speed Park to the Tomoka River basin is known for its lush canopies of live oaks and breathtaking ocean, river and marsh views.
Part of a larger 30-mile-plus double loop, the trek takes riders past an assortment of oceanfront beach parks along State Road A1A, as well as North Peninsula State Park, Highbridge Park, Bulow Creek State Park and the Fairchild Oak, Tomoka State Park, Tomoka Outpost and the Ormond Beach Historical Society.
Find details on this ride and others at biketoberfest.org.
Visit Daytona International Speedway. At the annual Fall Cycle Scene, the American Sportbike Racing Association and the American Motorcyclist Association host a weekend’s worth of on-track races on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Daily tickets and multiple-day passes range from $22.50-$67.50 at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.
What is Biketoberfest’s connection to American Motorcyclist Association?
For the second consecutive year, the 33rd annual Biketoberfest motorcycle rally in the Daytona Beach area and Volusia County is a part of the 2025 American Motorcyclist Association’s National Gypsy Tour.
With more than 100 years of history, the AMA National Gypsy Tour is a celebration of the freedom and camaraderie of motorcycling.
With 10 total events in 2025 aimed at bringing like-minded riders together, the AMA National Gypsy Tour is one of the longest-running motorcycle series in the country.
At each event, including Biketoberfest 2025, AMA members can collect official AMA National Gypsy Tour pins to show they attended.
AMA Gypsy Tour pins, as well as other materials that highlight the history of the AMA and American motorcycling, will be distributed at the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Official Biketoberfest Welcome Center trackside at Daytona International Speedway’s Fall Cycle Scene display area.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Biketoberfest 2025, Bike Week 2026 showcase Daytona Beach’s motorcycle connections
Reporting by Jim Abbott, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
