How Many People Attended the 85th 2025 Sturgis Rally?
LoveThe 2025 85th Anniversary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Attendance Was Up over 14%. Now that the books have officially closed on another incredible rally, everyone is asking the same question – How big was the 85th Sturgis Rally in 2025? This year’s attendance was up significantly from 2024. In fact, 2025 drew in the largest number of visitors in the last 5 years! Read on to see how the numbers break down. What was the Sturgis Rally Attendance in 2025? SD Department of Transportation reported traffic counts of 537,459. The DOT reported the 2024 Sturgis Rally attendance of 537,459 was up 14% from 2024. According to the official traffic numbers released by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the 85th Rally in 2025 was significantly bigger than the 84th in 2024, with 470,987 vehicles. The South Dakota Department Of Transportation gathers these numbers from road tube counters placed at nine locations around the Sturgis region. One vehicle is counted for every two axles that hit the counter on their way into town. The full DOT report on the Sturgis Rally can be found on the DOT Website. The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety reports that DUI arrests, misdemeanor drug arrests, felony drug arrests, and non-injury accidents were all down. Citations, warnings, injury crashes, and fatalities were all slightly up from 2024. See more rally statistics from the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally taxes were up 13% According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, tax collections at the 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are currently at $1,581,736, up 13% from 2024’s $1.3 million. 2026 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Dates When is the 86th Sturgis Rally? The 2026 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is scheduled for Aug. 7-16, 2026. Get a jumpstart on 2026 by registering for the rally and receiving your free welcome packet at Sturgis.com/registration. Love
Bad Ideas Gone Good (AKA Terrible Ideas That “Worked Out”)
LoveEveryone has a story about a “good idea” that didn’t turn out so “good.” One that, against your will, stole back the word from any future story you’ll tell and replaced it with “The Worst” idea ever. You know the ones… A lower back tatt of Nancy Reagan that looks more like Mick Jagger. A one-buck fixer-upper you picked up and never fixed up. Your third marriage. (Why stop there?) Unfortunately, bad ideas are the stories we hear and tell most often. For one, they’re easy to remember. And they’re easy to tell because… who doesn’t love a long hug from a friend while you cry on their shoulder, a “You poor thing” whispered in your ear, or a giggle about how big they made Nancy’s mouth. It’s how we bond. In adult language, we call these bad ideas “learning lessons.” If you get to poking around and asking questions about learning lessons at the Sturgis Rally, Carol Woodruff of the Legendary Buffalo Chip will put it to you bluntly, “We’ve had a lot of them.” But what about the decisions we think will be bad that surprisingly turn out to be good? Those are talked about less often. But you know what? They make fun stories, too. So, I did a little asking. What I found worth revealing is… 5 Bad Ideas Someone at the Buffalo Chip Did Anyway. Bad Idea #5 – Pee-wee Herman Leading the Legends Ride® and Ziplining onto the Main Stage to do the Tequila Dance with a Couple Dozen Bikini Models. There was no question about it: Pee-wee Herman doing Sturgis was an unpopular idea. “Weird” is more like it, thought Carol Woodruff, wife to the man, Rod Woodruff, who thought otherwise. “Pee Wee didn’t seem like the kind of person the biker crowd would appreciate.” Everyone had an opinion. The populist opinion was…Rod Woodruff had cotton between his ears. But what came of it? A magical experience you can watch by Googling Funny or Die Pee-Wee Goes to Sturgis. In that video, Pee-wee leads (and gets passed by) a pack of motorcycles on his classic pedal bike, screams “Ouch” as he gets loving bear hugs from bikers, tells a war story about a paper cut with lemon juice in it, ziplines onto the main stage to Tequila Dance with a couple dozen Bikini Models before ZZ Top, and rides two up on the back of actor Lorenzo Lamas’ motorcycle. The experience also appeared on every major national news network, many magazines, and even entertainment TV, including The Tonight Show. “It worked out,” concludes Carol. Bad Idea #4 – Robbie Knievel’s Jump Through the Main Stage This conversation starts with, “There wasn’t enough room to land.” According to Toni Woodruff, “That seemed like a really bad idea.” Especially as she was asked to help stack hay bales at the end of his run to help stop him from running into the Front of House building. What made it worse was that there couldn’t be a landing ramp, and the stage lighting for Styx had already been hung. This meant he would have to clear the stage, not clip his head on the lighting trusses, and land to FLAT GROUND. Rod said it “would work out”. Robbie said, “I’ve landed in difficult situations before.” But that was before his logistics team had gotten there and said, “This won’t work.” Robbie did it anyway. He cleared the stage, hit the ground, didn’t have enough room to stop, crashed into the hay bales, and broke three of his ribs. The Travel Channel was there to capture it for an episode about the Chip that became the most-watched documentary in the Travel Channel’s history. This lousy idea also “worked out.” Bad Idea #3 – Crashing Head-On into a Wall of Beer Cans at 33 MPH on a Motorcycle This pain was self-inflicted. When I first thought about smashing head-on through a Beer Wall at Camp Zero, I knew it had the propensity to turn out bad. (Don’t tell my mom.) For one, it had never been done, which meant there were several unknowns: Can we stack 1,200 cans? How much will it hurt? Should I build a ramming plate? I soon discovered my answers. Answer #1. If people helped hold up the wall until just before impact and we taped the six-packs together, we could stack roughly 200 six-packs of beer together. Answer #2. The impact force was enough to bend the frame and shove the front wheel back into the fork. That is enough force to break your head and neck if you’re not properly tucked. So, it hurts a little. Answer #3. Only a Class A Dummy would forgo a ramming plate. With the help of threaded pipe, hose clamps, plywood, and a few dozen screws to puncture the cans as I screamed through, “Unsung Zero” was born. The wall smash became popular enough that ESPN 8 – The Ocho asked us to do it again for an article about weird sports. Later, Monster Energy sponsored the wall. It worked out. Bad Idea #2 – The Air Sex World Championships and Mankini Contests “Some people thought the Air Sex Championships was a dumb idea,” Showcase Stage Director Mary Panerio answered without pause. Following up with the reminder that I had “hated the idea of the Mankini Contest so much that we didn’t even put it on the schedule the first year.” “That first year, we held Air Sex at the free public access area called the Crossroads and couldn’t get anyone to participate.” The comedians who hosted the event begged people every day and then just ended up doing their own Air Sex performance instead, humping the air like it was with their invisible partner. “It was mildly uncomfortable.” Especially during the charity ride receptions. ☺ Down at the Bikini Beach Stage, it finally became a hit. “That and the Mankini Contests are now our most popular events down there,” Mary continues. The
2024 Sturgis Rally Attendance – How Big Was The 2024 Sturgis Rally?
LoveNow that the books have officially closed on another incredible Sturgis Rally, everyone is asking the same question – How big was the 84th Sturgis Rally in 2024? This year’s 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attendance was up slightly from 2023. Read on to see how the numbers break down. What was the Sturgis Rally Attendance in 2024? SD Department of Transportation reported traffic counts of 470,987. The DOT Reported the 2024 Sturgis Rally Attendance of 470,987. According to the official traffic numbers released by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the 84th Rally in 2024 was slightly bigger than the 458,161 vehicles during the 2023 Sturgis Rally. The 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Attendance Was Up 2.7%. The South Dakota Department Of Transportation gathers these numbers from road tube counters placed at nine locations around the Sturgis region. One vehicle is counted for every two axles that hit the counter on their way into town. The full DOT report on the Sturgis Rally can be found on the DOT Website. The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety reports that DUI arrests, citations, warnings, non-injury crashes, and injury crashes, were all down regionally. Misdemeanor drug arrests, felony drug arrests, and fatalities were all up regionally. See more rally statistics from the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally taxes were down 3%. According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, tax collections at the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are currently at $1,399,501, down 3% from 2023. 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Dates When is the much anticipated 85th Sturgis Rally? The 2025 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is scheduled for Aug. 1-10, 2025. Get a jumpstart on 2025 by registering for the rally and receiving your free welcome packet at Sturgis.com/registration. Love
2023 Sturgis Rally Attendance – How Big Was The 2023 Sturgis Rally?
LoveThe 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Attendance Was Down 8.1%. Now that the books have officially closed on another incredible Sturgis Rally, everyone is asking the same question – How big was the 83rd Sturgis Rally in 2023? This year’s 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attendance was down from 2022. Read on to see how the numbers break down. What was the Sturgis Rally Attendance in 2023? SD Department of Transportation reported traffic counts of 458,161. The DOT Reported the 2023 Sturgis Rally Attendance of 458,161 Was Down 8.1% from 2022 According to the official traffic numbers released by the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the 83rd Rally in 2023 was not nearly as big as 82nd in 2022, with 497,835 vehicles. The South Dakota Department Of Transportation gathers these numbers from road tube counters placed at nine locations around the Sturgis region. One vehicle is counted for every two axles that hit the counter on their way into town. The full DOT report on the Sturgis Rally can be found on the DOT Website. The South Dakota Office of Highway Safety reports that DUI arrests, citations, warnings, non-injury crashes, and injury crashest, were all down. Misdemeanor drug arrests, felony drug arrests, and fatalities were all up. See more rally statistics from the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally taxes were down 6%. According to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, tax collections at the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally are currently at $1,446526, down 6% from 2022. 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Dates When is the 84th Sturgis Rally? The 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is scheduled for Aug. 2-11, 2024. Get a jumpstart on 2024 by registering for the rally and receiving your free welcome packet at Sturgis.com/registration. Love
First Sturgis Rally Buffalo Chip 2023 Concerts, Styx and REO Speedwagon, Announced with Offering of Video Shout Outs from a Cat, Among Others.
Love Reservations to the two rock n’ roll juggernauts comes with a personalized video gift from the mighty Zorro, the “head honcho”, the voice of “the Legendary Buffalo Chiiiiip”, and more. The Bands take the Wolfman Jack Main Stage on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 Sturgis, SD (November 25, 2022): The Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® is going big on Black Friday by bringing in legendary rock icons Styx and REO Speedwagon for an incredible show on Aug. 8 during the 83rd Sturgis Rally. This is the first Sturgis Rally Buffalo Chip concert announcement for the nine-day festival held Aug. 4 – 13, 2023. In celebration of this announcement, the Chip is giving anyone who makes a reservation between Black Friday (11/25) and Cyber Monday (11/28) the option to receive a personalized video shoutout from a Buffalo Chip personality of their choice. The options include the festival office cat, head honcho Rod Woodruff, voice of the Legendaaaaary Buffallllooooo Chiiiip Hank Rotten Jr., and others. See BuffaloChip.com/BANDS for the full announcement video. “We are full speed ahead and ready to go for 2023! We have a lot of new fun things and top entertainment planned to give our guests the best rally experience possible. We can’t wait to show you.” – Rod Woodruff – President of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Styx – Aug. 8 Styx delivers over four decades of barn-burning chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard-driving deep cuts to the Wolfman Jack Stage Tuesday, Aug. 8. The progressive rock group has put out a plethora of hit records including four albums that went triple platinum. This will be the first time they’ve brought their electrifying live show to the Sturgis Rally in four years. REO Speedwagon – Aug. 8 Rally goers “Can’t Fight this Feeling” when multi-platinum selling rockers REO Speedwagon step on stage. Iconic and electrifying, REO Speedwagon brings hits like “Ridin’ The Storm Out,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Keep On Loving You,” “Take It On the Run,” and more to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Aug. 8 prior to a performance from coheadliner Styx. Get A Personalized Video from the Chip Fam Anyone who reserves between Black Friday and Cyber Monday will receive something extra special no one else will have—a one-of-a-kind, personalized video shoutout from their favorite Chip personality. The possibilities range from the Mighty Zorro the office cat to Woody, Hank Rotten, or anyone else at the Chip. YOU decide. Love
Boy’s Rally Lemonade Stand Raises Over $32,000 for Charity
Love In 2019, Wyatt Dennis sat on the porch of a house his parents were thinking about purchasing when an idea was born. It happened to be in the middle of the Sturgis Rally, and Wyatt told his parents that if they purchased the house, he’d want to do a lemonade stand the following Rally. When 2020 rolled around, the house was theirs, Wyatt was ready, and the lemonade stand idea was put into action. Wyatt wanted to purchase a Lego set. His parents told him he would be serving free lemonade to anyone who wanted some and in return for his hard work, they would take him to buy the Lego set with the money he earned at the end of Rally. On day one, donations started rolling in. It was apparent that the Lego set would be easily obtainable, so a new plan was set up for the money coming in. Fifty percent would go into savings for college, 30 percent would go toward a charity of Wyatt’s choice, and 20 percent would go toward the Lego set. Instead of only being able to teach Wyatt how hard work can get you what you want, the lemonade stand had become a lesson about saving, giving, and spending. Wyatt chose St. Jude Children’s Hospital for his charity because he wanted to help kids. In 2020, the lemonade stand brought in approximately $700 in donations, and Wyatt was able to donate $200 to St. Jude. When the 2021 Rally rolled around, Wyatt headed back down to Sturgis Road to set up his stand again. No one expected this year to be different than 2020, but everything changed in the first weekend the lemonade stand was set up. A wonderful lady named Tracy from Louisiana stopped a couple times and asked if she could post about the stand on Facebook. Her post was then picked up by Derek Swain, a Combat Vet Rider, who added to and reposted Tracy’s original post. It went viral in a couple days’ time. Not only were people from all over visiting the stand while in town for Sturgis, they were also donating virtual glasses of lemonade. Wyatt’s story was picked up by local news stations, newspapers, Fox and Friends, and a Fox station out of Minnesota. This allowed word of the stand to reach from coast to coast. After everything was said and done in 2021, Wyatt chose to donate 50 percent of what came in and was able to give just over $32,000 to St. Jude. Wyatt plans to continue to do his lemonade stand every year, as long as people continue to come. In 2022, he hopes everyone who comes to town for Rally will come stop by and say hello and that he can raise $50,000 for St. Jude! **Update as of 1-4-2022 **I wanted to let you know (if you haven’t seen it on his FB page) that we are going to have a raffle for a $1000 tattoo session. There is an artist from Spearfish who has committed to this and we will be selling tickets starting in February for $20.00 each. We will draw for the winner on July 4th so they have time to schedule the session when they are out for the Rally. All proceeds will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. In the meantime, you can learn more about Wyatt’s Lemonade Stand on his Facebook page (Wyatt’s Lemonade), Instagram (@wyattslemonade), and website (www.wyattslemonade.com). Love
The Doggfather: Part 2. Snoop Dogg Returns to the Sturgis Buffalo Chip for 2022 Rally
Love Legendary rapper, actor and showman Snoop Dogg returns to the Largest Music Festival in Motorcycling® on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022 Sturgis, S.D. (October 12, 2021): Never one to fit the mold, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip® is breaking barriers once again with the return of Super Bowl-Level entertainer Snoop Dogg on the first Saturday of the 82nd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Based on the massive success of Snoop Dogg’s first visit to the Best Party Anywhere® in 2019, the venue is bringing back the Doggfather for an evening of Sturgis Rally Concerts. See the official concert announcement video at BuffaloChip.com/BANDS. Since 1993, Snoop Dogg has proved time and time again that his music appeals to just about any crowd. From Super Bowl LVI to a motorcycle rally at the Chip, crowds everywhere groove along with mega-hits like “Gin & Juice,” “Nuthin’ But A G Thang,” “Next Episode,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Young, Wild & Free,” and so many more. Snoop Dogg in 2019 at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip When we announced Snoop Dogg in 2019, no one knew what to expect. He wasn’t the traditional performer that the Buffalo Chip crowd was accustomed to. But when he took the stage, we were blown away! He had a huge fanbase at the Chip, singing and dancing along to his long list of hit songs. It was an incredible performance. With talent like that, it’s no surprise to me that Snoop Dogg is headlining the Super Bowl this year, and we are darn happy to bring folks here some Super-Bowl-quality entertainment! – Rod Woodruff, CEO of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip The unrivaled Snoop Dogg is the first artist announced for the 2022 Sturgis Buffalo Chip Music and Motorcycle Festival. More announcements coming soon. Performances from the world’s top entertainers are just a part of what the Sturgis Buffalo Chip has in store for 2022. Guests will have the opportunity to experience countless events, including legendary rides, powerful freedom celebrations, top-tier bike shows, heart-pounding stunts, white-knuckle racing events and so much more. The Buffalo Chip is home to the Sturgis Rally Information Center™ and is the official sponsor of the free Sturgis.com Official Sturgis Rally Registration Program. Love
AMERICAN ICON “BIKER’S BIBLE” EASYRIDERS RETURNS
Love AMERICAN ICON “BIKER’S BIBLE” EASYRIDERS RETURNS New License Deal Brings Biker Lifestyle to the Masses Los Angeles, California: Classic Easyriders today announced a new partnership with ER71 to license an exciting new monthly motorcycle magazine title that brings all the two-wheeled excitement of the motorcycle culture to the masses. Easyriders magazine has been known as the “biker’s bible” for over 50 years. Now, Classic Easyriders will kickstart a new era of interest in motorcycling, drawing on its rich heritage as an integral part of entertaining the biker lifestyle it serves. Publisher Ray Pelosi has brought back the original team of industry-leading editors including Dave Nichols, world famous motorcycle photographers such as Michael Lichter, and the original Easyriders design team led by Regina Marsh and Carmelo Cadaudello to create a paper and digital monthly motorcycle magazine that is filled with custom bike features, action-packed biker runs, rallies and parties as only Classic Easyriders can bring them to you. ER71, the branding and marketing company behind Easyriders, led by Pepper Foster, was looking for a way to bring the iconic magazine back after it ceased production in 2019. “We heard from our readers and supporters loud and clear,” Pepper says. “They want their paper magazine back and we are proud to be partnering with the original editors and creative team to announce that Easyriders is back. We’re fired up!” “I am ecstatic to be working with our original team to bring back the world’s most iconic biker lifestyle magazine Classic Easyriders,” says editor-in-chief Dave Nichols. “Our industry needs a paper magazine as well as a digital presence now more than ever before, to capture and promote the American motorcycle culture. We’ll start off with issue 555 this December, which is where the old Easyriders left off when it ceased publication in 2019.” While there will be no nudity as in the original Easyriders, Classic Easyriders will bring readers the look and feel of biker magazines of the 1970s and ’80s, with fresh new choppers, bobbers, classic motorcycles and the latest builds by today’s top builders. The monthly magazine will also include interviews with biker legends and showcase motorcycle-related parts, products and accessories. “We’re focused on making sure that the loyal readers and subscribers of the old Easyriders magazine are blown away by our new publication,” says publisher Pelosi. “I am thrilled to be working with Pepper Foster and ER71 on our second license deal for the Easyriders brand and also excited to bring back and work with some of the finest talent in the motorcycle publishing industry!” The newly reimagined Classic Easyriders will be available for subscriptions and for sale through newsstands, convenience stores, books stores, and motorcycle shops as well as online across America and the world. “The original team who brought you Easyriders magazine is back and burnin’ rubber for 2022 with Classic Easyriders!” says Dave Nichols. “Join us for the ride of a lifetime!” The first issue of Classic Easyriders will be available with the debut of the December 2021 issue, on sale November 19th. For more information contact Dave Nichols at: dave@classiceasyriders.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ray Pelosi Classic Easyriders 718-637-1175 ray_pelosi@gitcorp.com Love
