The 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally officially began on August 8, 2026, attracting approximately 500,000 riders to the small town of Sturgis, South Dakota, and the surrounding Black Hills region. The rally, billed as the world’s largest motorcycle event, runs annually for ten days in August and includes races, concerts, group rides, stunt shows, motorcycle demonstrations, vendor exhibitions, and organized rides throughout the area.

Sturgis, with a population of about 7,100, transforms into a bustling city as motorcycles fill downtown streets and riders explore the Black Hills. This year’s headliner is country star Lainey Wilson, scheduled to perform on August 12. Other performers include YUNGBLUD, Megadeth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rob Zombie, and Insane Clown Posse.

The rally was founded in 1938 by Indian Motorcycle dealer Pappy Hoel, whose marketing skills, passion for motorcycle racing, and paternal care for America’s World War II veterans helped make Sturgis synonymous with motorcycles. The Hoel family managed the rally for nearly 50 years before transferring control to the City of Sturgis in the 1980s.

In celebration of the rally’s history, Indian Motorcycle introduced the new Indian Chief Vintage Sturgis SD Edition. This model features special paint and badging inspired by Indian motorcycles of the 1930s, including a classic two-tone Red and Cream paint scheme with a multicolored Indian Motorcycle headdress logo. This new model is inspired in part by the post-war history of the Sturgis Rally.

Pappy Hoel is often credited as “the man who put the brotherhood in motorcycles” and is recognized as the reason so many people continue to attend the rally today.

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