“Today and always” will be the motto of the 43rd edition of Pingüinos, the largest winter motorcycle rally in all of Europe, which will stop in Valladolid from January 8 to 11 with the spirit of “celebration and sharing” that characterizes the event. … in the words of the general coordinator of Turismoto, José Manuel Navas.
This year, The Penguins of Honor will go to driver David Alonso, Moto3 world champion in 2024, and the Estrella Galicia 0.0 brewery, sponsor of riders like the Márquez brothers, for its sponsorship work over the years. In a video sent by Alonso, the driver highlighted his “excitement” and “joy” for the distinction, which will allow him to witness for the first time a concentration where “those who participate have gasoline flowing through their veins.”
For his part, the mayor of Valladolid, Jesús Julio Carnero, highlighted in statements collected by Ical that “Pingüinos is the heritage of the city and the province of Valladolid”, and predicted “a spectacular, record year, with many activities”. All this, according to him, will make “Valladolid” roar again, always with a feeling of “solidarity” and “inclusion”, in a “festive, responsible and camaraderie atmosphere”.
Among the big novelties of this year, and to meet one of the wishes of the organizers (that the event lasts a whole week on the calendar), the concentration will this year have an earlier day on Tuesday, January 7, which they called “Sprint Pingüinos 2026.” This is a preliminary meeting that will allow all those registered to get to know and enjoy Valladolid, its province, its gastronomy and its wines.
Carnero announced that the government team would study the proposal and defended that “it is a success to expand Pingüinos” in addition to emphasizing that they will analyze “how this expansion is carried out and the effects it produces”, which, in their opinion, could be “positive for the city and for the concentration itself”. “It is an ambitious fact on the part of Turismoto, the city and the municipalities of the province,” he concluded.
This day’s activities will begin at 10 a.m. with a welcome aperitif in Valladolid, then a guided motorcycle route will take place, which will include a visit to the Fuensaldaña Castle and a visit with tasting to the Sinforiano winery. Participants will also be able to enjoy a typical Castilian meal, several tourist routes through Valladolid for groups of twenty to thirty people and a snack/dinner accompanied by a DJ.
On Thursday, January 8, it will begin with a visit to the CEIP Alonso Berruguete and the El Apostolado Sagrado Corazón de Jesús school as part of the “Bring the Pingüinos to Valladolid” initiative. Then there will be a visit to the “Classic Motorcycle Museum”, in Esguevillas de Esgueva, and, in the afternoon, from 4:00 p.m., there will be a free outing to Aldeamayor de San Martín where participants will be able to enjoy the Stunt666 exhibition accompanied by DJ Carlos Deauville, who will also be responsible for closing the day in Plaza Pingüinos with the Umbilika concert.
Concerts
On Friday 9, after Caldo and Café Pingüinero, Plaza Pingüinos will host a performance by Keka at 1:00 p.m. then at 4:30 p.m. there will be a tourist excursion to Mojados, where a tasting of Valladolid food will take place as well as the exhibition of Stunt666 and FMX Free Style by the best international riders of this discipline, such as Maikel Melero, José Mincha and Mario Lucas. The day will end with the New Year and Penguin New Year’s Eve party and a performance by the Mondragón Orchestra.
The January 10 program will begin with the on-site Penguin Breakfast and continue with two of the concentration’s main activities. From midday the flag parade and the subsequent FMX Free Style and Stunt666 exhibition will take place, and from 8:00 p.m. the torchlight parade will take place in tribute to the deceased motorcyclists. The day will also be enhanced with an FMX – Freestyle exhibition in the parking lot of the Vallsul shopping center and several musical performances with Los Lunares, Rock and Roll Cirkus, Tam Tam Go and Los del Lío and at midnight the traditional burning of the Falla de Pingüinos 2026 will take place. The edition will end on Sunday 11 with the presentation of the Pingüinos de Oro 2026 prizes and the drawing of a motorcycle and different gifts among all those registered.
Currently, according to Navas, the registration rate is “very similar to that of the previous year”, and today, after the sale of discounted access closed, they have 6,000 registered. The registration rate, he assured, “will depend a lot on the weather”, because “if it does not rain, the numbers will be higher”.
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