In February, 2021, BMW Motorrad officially canceled its BMW Motorrad Days 2021 festival, which was originally scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany in July. However, as BMW fans well know, the brand has fans, followers, and supporters all around the world. That’s why a BMW Motorrad Days festival was also planned to take place in Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in 2021. 

If you noticed the past-tense phrasing there, we assure you it was completely on purpose. As people living in Japan already know, and as those around the world with an eye on the 2021 Olympics have probably heard, the pandemic is unfortunately on the march in Japan. As a result, BMW Motorrad deemed conditions unfavorable to host a BMW Motorrad Days event there. Like the main event in Berlin, the Nagano event is canceled for 2021, which is the second year in a row. 

That’s not all the news from BMW Motorrad Japan, though. Rather than cancel the festival outright, BMW Japan decided that if it’s not safe for its fans to gather in large groups, why not have them come on their own time to have a little fun? 

Gallery: BMW Motorrad Hakuba 2021

That’s why BMW Motorrad Hakuba 2021 is setting up a much smaller-scale celebration for fans. If you travel to the Hakuba 47 location in Nagano Prefecture on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from August 7 through September 30, 2021, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day, you can participate.  

A special BMW Motorrad vending machine will be on-site, dispensing limited-edition BMW Motorrad Hakuba 2021 t-shirts. Approximately one out of every 21 shirts will be a different color, with the main color availability being white with black text. The alternate is classic BMW GS colors, yellow and black, to commemorate 40 years of GS

A special-edition photo booth will also be on-site. It's 2,021 millimeters across—or just over 79 inches. That way, you can take photos with friends while maintaining social distancing. It’s unclear what format these photos will print in, or if there’s some algorithmic magic that will show you and your friends as being closer together than you are. You’ll be able to find out very soon if you’re interested, though, since it’s July 27 as I type this. 

BMW Motorrad has one more surprise in store for fans in Japan. If you purchase a limited-edition BMW Motorrad Hakuba 2021 t-shirt, you’ll find a voucher inside that’s good for a limited-edition BMW Motorrad towel. To redeem that voucher, you’ll need to go to a BMW Motorrad dealer in Japan to present it. Both the t-shirts and towels are available on a limited, first-come, first-served basis. Once supplies are exhausted, you’ll be out of luck if you wanted to obtain one of either of those items. 

Please note that the towel vouchers are valid until December 14, 2021, so you have time to redeem it if you can’t get to a BMW dealer right away. Be aware that the T-shirt label also has a limited discount code for the Hakuba 47 Pizza House Lewis location, as well as a gondola ride in the complex.  

While it isn’t the same as a proper BMW Motorrad Days festival, it’s still a small bit of socially-distanced joy to help brighten your day while the world gets to grips with this pandemic. Happy riding. 

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