explorr Festival Brings Three Days of Outdoor Adventure to Banchory
A new outdoor festival is coming to Banchory this weekend, bringing together gravel cycling, trail running, live music, food and family activities in the heart of Royal Deeside.
Taking place from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2026, explorr Festival will transform King George V Park into a free-to-enter Festival Village for runners, cyclists, families, local residents and visitors.
The sporting programme may be at the heart of the weekend, but you won’t have to enter a race to be part of it. The Festival Village will feature live music, an outdoor adventure expo, athlete talks, films, street food, coffee and a festival bar throughout the weekend.
What is explorr Festival?
explorr is a new outdoor endurance festival created around the landscapes and gravel trails of Royal Deeside.
It’s first Banchory weekend combines a 120km gravel cycling challenge with running events ranging from 5km to a full marathon. It will also incorporate the much-loved Run Banchory event, allowing the established local race to continue as part of a much larger celebration of outdoor activity.
While some events are designed to challenge experienced endurance athletes, the wider festival has been created to welcome all abilities – and those who would simply like to enjoy the atmosphere.
The Festival Village at King George V Park is free to attend, although visitors are being asked to book a free festival ticket through the explorr website.
Friday: The festival begins
The Event Village and outdoor expo will open at noon on Friday 28 August.
The afternoon programme includes a free cycling skills session for children, a relaxed Scolty shakeout ride and talks from endurance athletes and adventurers. Live music will take over during the evening, providing a lively opening to the weekend before Saturday’s main cycling event.
Food, coffee and drinks will be available in the village throughout the afternoon and evening.
Saturday: Gravel racing, children’s cycling and the Scolty hike
Saturday’s headline sporting event is the explorr Gravel Stage Race.
Starting in Banchory at 10am, riders will tackle a 120km route through the forests, hills and gravel roads of Royal Deeside. Four timed stages will add climbs, fast gravel sections and tactical challenges to the route.
Younger cyclists can have their own taste of racing at the Kids Dirt Crit, held on a safe 1km loop around King George V Park. Organised with Deeside Thistle Cycling Club and supported by British Cycling-qualified coaches, the event includes separate races for under-8s, under-10s and under-12s.
Children do not need previous racing experience, although they will need a suitable bike with knobbly tyres and a correctly fitted helmet. A coached practice lap will take place before the racing begins.
Saturday evening will bring a different kind of challenge: a 7.4km Charity Night Hike from Banchory to Scolty Tower.
Walkers will climb through the forest to enjoy sunset views across Royal Deeside before returning to the Festival Village. Profits from the hike will be divided between Breast Cancer UK, Prostate Cancer UK and Banchory Outdoor and Active.
The walk begins at 6.30pm, and participants must carry a torch or headlamp and wear suitable footwear.
Live music will continue in the Festival Village on Saturday evening.
Sunday: Run Banchory enters a new chapter
Sunday is running day, with events taking place over four different distances.
The marathon begins at 10am, followed by the half marathon at 10.05am, the 10km at 10.15am and the 5km at 10.25am. The routes use a mixture of forest tracks, gravel paths and riverside trails around Banchory and Royal Deeside.
Children can also take part in two shorter events in King George V Park:
- The Deeside Dash for ages 9–11 begins at 9am.
- The Wee Dash for ages 5–8 begins at 9.15am and follows a welcoming 1km loop.
Podium presentations will take place from noon, followed by a DJ set and live music during the afternoon. The inaugural explorr weekend will officially finish at 6pm.
A festival for Banchory – not only the athletes
explorr has the potential to become an important new date in Banchory’s calendar.
As well as showcasing the area’s outdoor landscape, the festival is expected to bring competitors and visitors from across Scotland, the wider UK and beyond. Aberdeenshire Council is supporting the event in recognition of the potential benefits for local accommodation providers, shops, cafés, restaurants and other businesses.
For local residents, it is also an opportunity to enjoy a major outdoor event on the doorstep. You can watch the racing, support the children’s events, explore the expo, enjoy the music or simply meet friends for something to eat in the Festival Village.
The organisers have published information about temporary traffic restrictions and access arrangements for the weekend. Anyone living near the affected routes should check the explorr local impact and road closure information before travelling.
explorr Festival 2026 at a glance
Dates: Friday 28–Sunday 30 August 2026
Festival Village: King George V Park, Dee Street, Banchory, AB31 5HT
Festival admission: Free, with advance registration requested
Main events: Gravel Stage Race, 5km, 10km, half marathon, marathon, Kids Dirt Crit and Charity Night Hike
Also available: Live music, food and drink, outdoor expo, athlete talks and family activities
Race entries and certain organised activities require separate registration and may have an entry charge.
Visit the official explorr Festival website for registrations, the latest programme and further visitor information.