May 30, 2024 - (Mantua, ITA) Stories, workshops, live music, screenings and social rides: the BAM! 2024 programme is now online. From June 7-9, Mantua will host the European Gathering of Bicycle Travellers.
“The festival starts when participants set off from home on their bike”, the organizers said. This is the unique nature of BAM! – for a decade it has been motivating thousands of bike travellers from Italy and all over Europe to get in the saddle and head to Mantua for the sake of reuniting every year.
From Friday, 7 June at 6pm until Sunday, 8 June there will be a packed and diverse programme of events for every taste.
Friday will begin with stories about wonderful journeys, such as Giulia Baroncini’s adventure from Rovigo to Chicago in the footsteps of Luigi Masetti, the first Italian cycle traveller. This is followed by the experiences of Daniel Oss, the former pro and now ‘bikepacker’. The evening will continue with live music and a DJ set.
On Saturday there will be ample time for learning, with workshops for children, yoga sessions, bike maintenance courses, photography, nutrition and much more – including valuable workshops on drawing and creativity with Fabio Consoli, illustrator of many American magazine covers – as well as the BAM! bear – and storytelling illustration with Stefan Amato.
On stage, there will be a variety of panels: Giancarlo Brocci, founder of the vintage cycling event Eroica will talk about his ‘heroic journey’, Sofiane Sehili and Nathalie Baillon will discuss their ultra-cycling experiences, Nepal by bike with the Esplora team and Europe by bike with Eva Croce, talking about LGBTQ+ awareness. In addition, Omar di Felice will share stories from his glacial journeys, whereas Francesco Frank Lotta, Willy Mulonia and Paolo Martelli will show their documentary “Tratti” about their Patagonian adventure.
There will also be numerous social rides to discover Mantua and the surrounding area, such as the Women’s Ride and family experiences.
Sunday is the day to return home, by bike of course, but there will still be numerous events, various workshops and concerts.
All BAM! meetings are free of charge and free admission (some workshops have a limited number of participants).
Tent spaces are on sale at here where the full programme can be viewed.
The unique BAM! Format
Meetings, music, workshops, bike rides: from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon the program has two themes. For those interested, there are workshops, meet-ups with fellow cyclists, performance artists, bike brands and talks by those well-known in the community. For those who just want to hang out there is also plenty on offer: beer on tap, live music and plenty of local routes to explore in and around Mantua.
What does BAM! stand for?
BAM!, is an acronym for Bicycle Adventure Meeting – the largest meet-up in Europe dedicated to bicycle travelers. Bikepackers, classic cycle tourists and those who adore long journeys, gravel, exploring by bicycle, ultracycling and family trips: all the kindred souls and fans of traveling on two wheels meet every year at BAM!
