MCL

At MCL, short for Motorcycle Live, you can see bikes, technology, safety gear, apparel and accessories from more than 50 manufacturers and over 250 exhibitors under one roof, alongside riding zones, displays and guest appearances. MCL is a nine-day consumer motorcycle show held in Halls 2 to 4 at NEC Birmingham, run by MCIA Events Ltd and staged in 2026 as MCL26 in association with Bikesure Insurance. The organiser calls it the UK’s largest motorcycle show.

MCL26 dates, times and tickets

You have nine days to choose from, as the 2026 show runs from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 29 November, opening daily from 10am to 5pm. Advance adult tickets (19 and over) cost £27 for any day or £25 for a Monday to Friday visit, and an any-day ticket bundled with a Spada rucksack costs £36.50. Child tickets for ages 6 to 18 are £5 and must be used with an adult ticket holder, while under-5s go free with a ticket-holding adult. Advance sales close at 5pm on Friday 20 November, after which adult tickets are £36.50 online or on the door. Online orders carry a £2 booking fee, 10 or more adult tickets earn you a 10% discount, and each full-price ticket allows a free carer ticket.

Ride at the show

You can ride at the show if you are aged 2 to 70, according to the organiser. The riding programme for 2026 lists five areas:

• Elite Test Ride Zone, offering on-road test rides on bikes from leading manufacturers
• Learn2Ride Zone, free for ages 14 to 70, covering the basics plus advice on getting a licence, a bike and riding gear
• E-Ride Zone, returning in 2026 with a range of all-electric bikes
• Kiddimoto balance bikes on a dedicated indoor track, part of MCL for more than 20 years
• Triumph TXP Electric Off-Road Youth Experience for young riders

Features and guests

You can see three displays that the organiser says are new for 2026, including The Collection, run with The Moulsdale Foundation, and Show & Shine, run with The Biker Lawyers. With MCN, the show is bringing what it calls 10 of the most important bikes in the history of British Superbikes. Manufacturer features include Suzuki marking 50 years since Barry Sheene’s first 500 Grand Prix success, Royal Enfield at 125 years, an Indian Motorcycle 125th anniversary feature and daily entertainment on the BMW Motorrad stand. If you register, Samurai offers you a free part respray, and a Freestyle MotoX display is part of the entertainment. Grace Webb, James Whitham and Matt Crowhurst are the MCL26 presenters, and guests include racers, explorers, technical experts and TV names.

Who visits and who exhibits

You will find modern, classic, on-road and off-road machines at MCL, and the organiser pitches it at anyone who loves bikes, people who are not riders yet and families. Talent Days introduce students and young people to careers in the motorcycle industry. If you are interested in older machines, you may also look at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC from 13 November 2026, or the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford International Centre from 6 February 2027.

Exhibiting at MCL

Exhibiting puts your brand in front of tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts, the organiser says, and you can request exhibitor details through the enquiry form on the show website. MCIA Events Ltd states that all profits from the event go back to the MCIA to support motorcycling. Our guides to building an exhibition budget and choosing between shell scheme or space only help when you plan a stand for a nine-day show.

Getting there and on-site facilities

If you arrive by motorcycle, you can use a free bike park, where each rider receives a numbered wristband, and you can leave leathers and kit in the Piazza cloakrooms. Catering and bar areas are set up in Halls 2 and 4 for the show. Pre-paying NEC car parking online saves you £5, Blue Badge holders still pay, and free shuttle buses link the car parks with the halls. Birmingham International Railway Station is a five-minute covered walk from the venue. More events in the area are listed under Birmingham shows, and other motoring events sit in our automotive sector, such as Race Retro at NAEC Stoneleigh from 19 February 2027.

Source: motorcyclelive.co.uk, motorcyclelive.co.uk/information/ticket-information, motorcyclelive.co.uk/want-to-exhibit, thenec.co.uk/events/mcl