HARLEY-DAVIDSON CELEBRATED ITS ANNIVERSARY IN BUDAPEST

The Motor Company celebrated its first 120 years at an international festival with bikes, lots of music and entertainment in Hungary's capital

Over 100,000 participants from more than 50 countries attended the event over the four days of the festival
More than 50 bands - including several international acts - rocked five stages over four evenings in front of a huge audience
VIPs included Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson , and Karen and Bill Davidson, great-granddaughter and great-grandson of William A. Davidson, one of the company's four founders
More than 7,000 motorcycles paraded through downtown Budapest

BUDAPEST (June 28, 2023) - For four days, Budapest's Puskás Aréna Park around Hungary's largest football stadium was under the banner of Harley-Davidson, as the US brand's European 120th Anniversary Festival took place here from June 22nd to 25th. Visitors were offered a lot of fun and action, such as a large exhibition of the new Harley-Davidson models and several classic Milwaukee bikes, including some of the Motor Company's most important creations. As part of this expo, the new CVO Road Glide and CVO Street Glide models, which had been presented just two weeks before the start of the event, were also seen for the first time in Europe.

More than 70 Harley-Davidson bikes were tested on the streets of the Hungarian capital and the surrounding area. The special options included two-hour Pan America on- and off-road rides, where guests were able to see for themselves the qualities of the adventure touring bike.

Harley-Davidson riders and fans flocked to Budapest from all over the world: the hosts were able to welcome visitors from the USA, Australia, South Africa and Singapore. They were rewarded, among other things, with free tours of up to 300 kilometers long, led by experienced regional road captains and taking in some of the most scenic spots in northern Hungary.

One of the highlights was of course the musical offering: over 50 bands rocked five stages, including international acts such as Airbourne and Wolfmother from Australia, Larkin Poe from the USA, The Picture Books from Germany, the British rock band The Darkness and Glenn Hughes, who The stage program ended on Sunday evening with classic deep purple rock. Successful headliners such as EDDA Művek and Pokolgép provided the original Hungarian sound.

Among the VIPs in attendance was Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson, who, together with Karen and Bill Davidson, the great-grandchildren of company co-founder William A. Davidson, led the raffle in which a British visitor won a strictly limited Heritage Classic Anniversary won.

Countless custom bikes could be seen at the various locations on the event site and on Friday the most creative conversions from eight countries competed in the ride-in custom bike show supported by Metzeler. More than 80 machines that had been brought to Budapest specifically for the competition took part.

Marco Sonnino from Italy won the “Best of Show” prize. Another highlight was the parade, in which more than 7,000 motorcycles did a lap through the city on Saturday to the applause of numerous spectators.

Harley-Davidson also announced the venue for the 30th edition of the HOG Rally next year. The event, which welcomes all bikers and motorcycle fans with free admission, will take place from June 6th to 9th, 2024 in Senigallia, Italy. Less than two hours from Bologna, the town impresses with its Renaissance architecture, breathtaking coastline, rolling hills and winding roads in the surrounding area - perfect for planning a tour in 2024.

Kolja Rebstock , Regional Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), summed up: “This was an incredible festival. It underlined the enormous appeal of Harley-Davidson and perfectly embodied the Harley lifestyle: We're about much more than just motorcycles.

On behalf of Harley-Davidson EMEA, I would like to thank the event organizers, Sportmarketing Agency Kft., the city of Budapest and of course the people of Hungary for supporting our synthesis of bikes, music and entertainment and warmly support fans from all over the world have received.

will welcome all bikers from September 5th to 10th to celebrate the 25th anniversary of European Bike Week

Text & image credit: Harley-Davidson