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Is there a Bulldog Bash in 2026? No. The last Bulldog Bash was held in 2017. The planned 2018 weekend was cancelled after the venue, the former Shakespeare County Raceway at Long Marston near Stratford-upon-Avon, was sold for housing, and we haven’t seen any announcement of a return. Here’s the story of the festival that for three decades brought bikers, drag racing and rock music to the edge of Stratford every August.
On this page
Bulldog Bash: quick facts
| First held | 1987 |
| Last held | 2017 (the 2018 event was cancelled) |
| Where | Shakespeare County Raceway, the former Long Marston Airfield, south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon |
| When | A weekend in mid-August |
| Organised by | The Hells Angels motorcycle club |
| What happened there | Drag racing on the raceway’s strip, live music and camping |
How it started
The first Bulldog Bash was held in 1987, organised by the Hells Angels. It grew to be described as one of the largest motorcycle festivals in Europe, with the drag strip at the old Long Marston airfield at its heart, and for many bikers the trip to Warwickshire every August became an annual fixture.
2007: a killing on the M40
On 12 August 2007, Gerry Tobin, a member of the Hells Angels, was shot dead on the M40 in Warwickshire as he rode home from that year’s Bash. Members of a rival motorcycle club were convicted of his murder at Birmingham Crown Court in 2008. The killing happened miles from the festival site, but it brought national attention and much closer police scrutiny to the event.
On site, the picture was usually calmer: police figures for 2006 recorded just four crimes reported at the festival and three arrests.
The final years
- 2013: the Bash was cancelled, announced that April.
- 2014 and 2015: it returned.
- 2017: the last Bulldog Bash.
- 2018: the planned weekend was cancelled after the venue was sold for housing development.
Bulldog Bash: quick answers
Is the Bulldog Bash on in 2026?
No. The last one was in 2017, and we haven’t seen any announcement of a return.
Where was the Bulldog Bash held?
At Shakespeare County Raceway on the former Long Marston Airfield, south-west of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Why did the Bulldog Bash end?
The venue was sold for housing. Without the raceway, the planned 2018 event was cancelled, and the 2017 Bash turned out to be the last.
Were you there? We’d love to hear your Bulldog Bash memories. Get in touch. Visiting the area? See our guides to where to stay and the best pubs in Stratford.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
