Event relocates to Groningen after four-year absence
The Red Bull District Ride urban slopestyle mountain bike competition returned on 2026-07-24 after a four-year break, with the 2026 edition staged in the Dutch university town of Groningen rather than its previous host city. According to reporting from Pinkbike, the previous District Ride was held in Nuremberg, Germany in 2022, and the move to Groningen is framed as a new home for the event centered on the historic Grote Markt. Coverage from the same date described the final day of practice as riders prepared for the main competition, signaling that the marquee runs were scheduled to follow shortly after the practice period.
Course blends historic brickwork with oversized features
Pinkbike's on-site report documented a course built into Groningen's historic cityscape, with massive dirt jumps and structural features juxtaposed against centuries-old brick architecture. The reporter noted that the top of one landing sat approximately 15.5 metres (50 feet) off the ground, with safety netting installed alongside. Course sections included a "Duel District" featuring a large roll-in into a whale-tail feature with significant gaps, alongside dirt-and-lime-built berms and finishing lines, and a "Park District" that was still receiving finishing touches from the build crew during the practice window.
Practice day draws riders and crews
The practice session captured riders testing the course, including the cannon feature, where riders were reported to be puzzling over the speed required for the jump. Pinkbike's "Dan Wolfe" was shown conducting soil testing on the surface, while crews worked around the clock using forklifts and other equipment to move and set up elements for the Saturday show. Spectators were visible at nearby cafe patios, with the reporter highlighting the unusual sight of everyday dining set against the backdrop of competition-scale dirt structures.
Course construction and material choices
Builders told Pinkbike that the course surface was primarily sand mixed with lime to help it hold up under rider traffic, a combination that packed well but required easy fixes as it churned during runs. The reporter compared freshly shaped landings to "pow" conditions familiar from snowsports. Build crews were still applying finishing touches to the Park District as the practice day continued, and additional staging areas for spectators and riders were being assembled in the surrounding streets.
Anticipation builds toward the main event
Coverage positioned the practice day as the final opportunity for riders to dial in their lines before the headline competition, with the event's return after a four-year gap drawing attention from international riders and crew. The reporter framed Red Bull as the only organization capable of staging an urban slopestyle build of this scale inside a functioning historic city center, underlining the logistical complexity of blending festival-sized dirt features with permanent heritage architecture.
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