In less than a month—from June 5th to 7th — BAM!, Europe's largest gathering of cycle tourists, will return . Three days of meetings, stories, music, workshops, and rides to showcase a different way of traveling, and perhaps even of being in the world. The 12th edition of the Bicycle Adventure Meeting will once again be held at Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta, in the province of Padua , with its monumental park hosting thousands of participants (and hundreds of tents) from all over Europe.
An excellent choice from both an aesthetic and logistical point of view, as Andrea Benesso , co-founder and organizer of BAM!, told us .
"We'll be hosted at Villa Contarini again," he tells us, "and we're delighted because the place is truly beautiful. People are amazed when they arrive. It's also a key crossroads where two very important cycle routes meet: the Treviso-Ostiglia and the Brenta cycle path . Logistically, it's perfect for cycle travellers, especially since we always push for everyone to arrive by bike, so that the event becomes part of the journey."
“Wrong roads make good stories”
BAM!, as we now know, is more than a festival, it's a huge repository of stories, where you can encounter everything . A sort of Neverland for cycle travellers , where for three days everything revolves around travel, cycling, and the stories they generate. It's no coincidence that the event's slogan is "Wrong roads make good stories . "
"It perfectly represents our idea of travel," Benesso continues, "the opposite of performance, traveling to live an experience. In general, I'd say we're more interested in special stories than extraordinary feats . Not just great adventures, but also ordinary people who've experienced something interesting."
And it is this idea that guides the 2026 program, which, as always, brings together great journeys and more profoundly human stories. Taking the stage will be Monica Consolini with her two-year solo round-the-world trip and Matteo Stella, who will retrace the journey from Beijing to Venice following in Marco Polo's footsteps . Also taking part will be brothers Willy and Tiziano Mulonia, who will recount their journey through the Alaskan winter; Giacomo Turco of Human Bikepacking will talk about Africa; and then Dino Lanzaretti, Mattia De Marchi, and Niccolò Varanini.
There will be space also for international guests, proving the ever-expanding scope of BAM!. Among these is Nelson Trees, one of the world's leading event organisers bikepacking, and two German artists who are cycling across Italy to get to BAM!, where they will hold a workshop dedicated to the relationship between travel and creativity.
Three days of workshops, cycling and music
Alongside the stories, there will also be the opportunity to get hands-on. "We're having tons of workshops this year too," Benesso explains. "I like the idea of a person returning home having learned something new."The program will offer workshops on meteorology, photography and travel reportage with Edoardo Frezet and Marco Rimondi, first aid courses with Nicolò Varanini, meetings on road safety with the Michele Scarponi Foundation and in-depth studies dedicated to cargo bike and sustainable mobility with Alessandro Grisotto.
As always, a key part of the experience will be the rides, for all tastes and all levels of fitness . From more sporty routes to themed outings, always open to all, including the Brompton Ride organized by Bromscape, the Cicli Barco workshop discovery ride, and the one dedicated to medicinal herbs with Giulio Officinalis . And then there's the music, always a central element of BAM!, where every evening there's a party, like after any good ride. "This year we're happy to have an artist of the caliber of Saturnino, Jovanotti's bassist, one of the best musicians around ," Benesso finally reveals, referring to the most anticipated musical guest of the next edition.
There's less than a month to go until BAM!, when Villa Contarini will be home to a diverse community on the move, gathering for three days to share stories, experiences, beers, and music . A way to catch your breath and remember that your Road, even the wrong one, always helps build a good story.
