Two of the Isle of Man TT's most celebrated racers will meet fans at the International Classic Motorcycle Show sponsored by Carole Nash at Staffordshire County Showground later this month.
Taking place on the weekend of 25-26 April, the spring Stafford show is one of the jewels in the crown of the classic motorbike calendar, and this year there’s not one, but two, star guests.
John McGuinness, winner of 23 TT victories, 47 podiums and the man who became the first rider to lap the Mountain Course at over 130mph, and Dean Harrison, the undoubted start of last year’s TT, will appear on stage for interviews and meet fans at the show. The Honda team mates are a well known and popular duo, who love their classic bikes and are famed for spinning a yarn or two. The pair will be appearing on the live stage throughout the weekend, just weeks before they head over to the Isle of Man for the biggest event of their racing year.
Established in 1981, and sponsored by Carole Nash, the International Classic Motorcycle Show represents the UK's biggest collection of classic motorcycles. Now in its fifth decade, the two-day event at Staffordshire County Showground brings together enthusiasts, collectors and traders from across the UK and beyond.
In addition to interviews on the live stage, this year’s show reprises many of the favourites which have visitors coming back year after year.
Bonhams will be on site, again running one of the world's most prestigious classic motorcycle auctions. featuring rare and historic machines. Among the many highlights coming under the hammer is Barry Sheene’s 1977 world championship winning Suzuki RG500 – a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to own an iconic piece of racing history for one lucky collector.
For those of us on more modest budgets, more than 900 traders make this the largest gathering of classic motorcycle parts, clothing, spares and accessories in the country. Visitors can see and purchase everything from complete, mint classic bikes to garage finds.
The famous 'Live Start-up Area', the Classic Racer GP Paddock, is where iconic machines are fired up so visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of classic racing up close, and there will be hundreds of static displays from private entries competing for awards including the Best in Show. British manufacturers such as Norton, BSA, Triumph and Ariel feature alongside international bikes from Harley-Davidson, Laverda, Suzuki and Indian.
Add in the Fox Family Wall of Death, featuring a vintage Indian Scouts on a 6m vertical wall, performed by the family who have been touring and entertaining crowds since the 1920s, and a replica of the 'Shuttleworth Snap' from the 1935 George Formby TT film, No Limit, which was created from a 1926 Triumph Model P, and you can see how this nostalgic gathering remains endearing popular with classic motorbike enthusiasts. It remains well attended by motorcycle clubs and is a great place to while away a day while chatting to like minded souls.
Advance tickets are on sale now, saving visitors more than 20% on the gate price. Gates open at 9am for advance ticket holders and 9.30am for those purchased on the day. The show runs Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, 9am–5pm each day.
Tickets are available at www.classicbikeshows.com/stafforda or on the gate at Staffordshire County Showground, Stafford, ST18 0BD.
