The wait is over! One of the world’s most progressive freeride MTB events, DarkFest, is back for 2025, bringing back massive jumps and an all-star lineup of riders ready for big air mayhem. Hosted by event creator Sam Reynolds, the legendary Vuurberg venue near Stellenbosch, South Africa, will once again be home to the planet’s gnarliest freeride sessions from April 7-12, 2025.
DarkFest continues pushing boundaries with some of the largest jumps in MTB history, welcoming the world’s best male and female riders to test their limits. This year’s lineup features MTB legends, fan favourites and emerging freeride and slopestyle talent like Clemens Kaudela, Vero Sandler, Bienve Aguado, Adolf Silva, Dylan Stark, Robin Goomes, Kaiden Ingersoll, and many more heavy hitters seen in the invited line-up.
“Each year, Darkfest gets crazier, and 2025 is going to be no exception,” says event founder Sam Reynolds. “We’re bringing together the best riders on the planet, a course that’s better than ever, and the kind of energy that makes this one of the most exciting freeride event in the world. We also have a brand-new course feature planned so stay tuned for the reveal of that.”
Darkfest 2025 Invited Riders List:
Sam Reynolds, Clemens Kaudela, Matt Macduff, Vero Sandler, Vaea Verbeeck, Bienve Aguado, Graham “Aggy” Agassiz, Ike Klaassen, Theo Erlangsen, Adolf Silva, Kade Edwards, Nicholi Rogatkin, Paul Couderc, Matt Jones, Sam Hodgson, Vinny Armstrong, Kaos Seagrave, Robin Goomes, Daniel Ruso, Lucy Vaneesteren, Alessio Tonoli, Tomas Lemoine, Elias Ruso, Johny Salido, Brendan Fairclough, Cami Nogueira , Lukas Schäfer, Kurtis Downs, Dylan Stark, Chelsea Kimball, Kaidan Ingersoll, Dan Paley, Talus Turk, Finley Kirschenman, Vincent Tupin, Louis Reboul, Dylan Lamb.
DarkFest wouldn’t be possible without the support of industry-leading sponsors, including Monster Energy, Kenda Tires, Insta360, Dewalt Tools, Muc-Off, SPANK Industries, and IXS. Their backing continues to fuel the sport’s progression and helps create an event that keeps helping redefine freeride MTB.
The public are also invited to see the event firsthand on April 12th, when DarkFest opens its gates for the Public Open Day where fans will get the opportunity to watch the rider’s session the iconic features.
Stay tuned for exclusive behind-the-scenes content and build updates via Sam’s YouTube Channel, partner social channels, and the official highlights as DarkFest 2025 unfolds. Follow @darkfest_mtb on social media for all the latest updates.
