Every June, riders, builders and surfers from all over the world meet in Biarritz on the French Atlantic coast, right where the Pyrenees run into the ocean. In 2025, after a few years away, we went back to Wheels & Waves for its 14th edition, from June 11 to 15.
Where motorcycles meet the ocean
The festival village was set up at the Cité de l'Océan. Wheels & Waves has always been more than a bike show: surf and skate culture runs through everything, from the clothes people wear to the music in the evenings.
What we loved
- The bikes: custom builds from old-school choppers to futuristic flat trackers.
- Artride: the festival's art exhibition, where motorcycles and art meet.
- Punk's Peak: the festival's races.
- The people: long conversations with brands and makers, and riding gear and fashion from labels like Eudoxie, Hedon, Wildust and Resurgence Gear.
- The evenings: live bands and DJ sets in the village.
Worth the trip?
If you have never been, yes — for the location alone, and for the ride there through the Pyrenees. Plan a few extra days and ride the mountain roads before or after the festival.
Surf and bikes on the Island
The mix of surfboards and motorcycles feels familiar on Vancouver Island. Our ride from Victoria to Tofino ends where the Island's surf scene lives — no festival, but the same spirit.
Wheels & Waves, June 2025. Photos: Jörg Janda. First published on badandbold.com.