The 2026 Overland Expo season has wrapped up, and as we gear up for the 2027 event series, we wanted to take a look back at the five awesome events we shared with the overland community this year. Every Overland Expo is a bit different, and even if you attend multiple events each year, or the same event every year, you’ll never have the same experience twice. With new gear debuts, ride and drives, after-hours events, and a constantly rotating cast of awesome rigs, 2026 was a banner year. If you visited one or all of the events this year, this should be a great trip down memory lane. If you didn’t make it to Overland Expo, this is what you’ve been missing, and we hope we’ll see you in 2027!
SoCal
The second Overland Expo SoCal kicked off our year in Costa Mesa, CA, and while this is the newest event in the series, it brings the energy. With 19,000 attendees, 420 exhibitors, and 146 hours of instruction covering a wide range of overland topics, it was a great way to kick off the 2026 season. Camp Subaru LIVE! It featured live music, community gatherings, and the debut of Subaru’s all-electric Trailseeker. Another attendee favorite, the Women Who Wander Networking Event, sponsored by MAXXIS Tires, was back. Featuring female founders, business owners, and key community members, it’s always a central part of the weekend.
West
For the Overland Expo community, May holds a special place with the West event returning to Flagstaff, AZ. The longest-running and largest event in the series, Overland Expo West is something you have to experience to truly believe the scope of the weekend. This was the 17th year for this event, and it saw all of the favorite parts of Overland Expo come together for an incredible experience. Specifically, the Overland Expo Film Festival featured Desk to Glory Season 2 and the finale of XOVERLAND’s Milestones: Global Expedition series, plus a Q&A with the crew. Unique to West, and always a hit, the annual AT Overland, Equipt, Overland Collective block party was as big a hit as ever. By the end of the weekend Overland Expo West saw 28,500 attendees, 420 exhibitors, and over $23,000 dollars raised for the Overland Expo Foundation.
PNW
The midpoint of the year saw Overland Expo PNW return to beautiful and adventure-filled Redmond, OR. Here, the Overland Expo Training Team provided hands-on off-road driving instruction to 138 attendees. The training course mimics real-world obstacles, and taking the training a step further, Trail Course Experience attendees drove their own vehicles to better understand the capabilities and limitations of their own rigs.
Mountain West
Overland Expo Mountain West returned to Loveland, CO, in August with not one, but two ride and drive opportunities. The Winnebago x Transwest Ride and Drive gave visitors the opportunity to drive and compare the Winnebago Backcountry lineup, including the Revel, the EKKO, and the new ARKA expedition truck. Attendees also took advantage of the Ram Offroad Ride and Drive and took a great lineup of trucks through a challenging course. Mountain West also saw the return of Dogs & Donuts, a great educational opportunity for those traveling with pets.
East
Then, just a couple of weeks ago, Overland Expo East bookended the series with three great days of perfect Fall weather in Virginia. The weekend started early with the inaugural Overland Expo Charity Dinner. This sold-out experience with Chef Natty of Food for Adventures and live music from Jacob Paul Allen raised $4,200 for the Overland Expo Foundation partner, Venture Unknown Foundation. East also saw an interesting stat, with over half of the 14,200 attendees being first-timers.
Good Times and Great Gear
While each event has its own highlights, you can always count on a few things. Great times at Happy Hour events at the Oasis Bar and Food Court every night, world-class overland education from expert instructors, can’t-miss rigs and people in the DIY and Creator areas, the perfect opportunity to support the overland community at the Overland Expo Foundation Charity Raffle, and brand-new product and vehicle releases that you can’t experience anywhere else. It would be almost impossible to list all the debuts we saw at Overland Expo this year, but here’s a small sample.
- 2026 Ultimate Overland Vehicle Build debuted at West, featuring the Nissan Frontier Pro4X outfitted with a Tune Outdoor M1L Camper and equipped with gear from 26 industry partners.
- West also saw the debut of the Winnebago ARKA, and a few months later, Mountain West attendees got the chance to drive it.
- Field Van displayed their brand-new Field Adventure Vehicle (FAV), a modern take on the legendary E350 platform. AEV also debuted their FXL Super Duty, and they both made our Best Rigs of West list.
- Mountain West gave the public their first chance to check out the Toyota Tundra Trail Hunter, and Toyota also brought out the Hilux Overland Concept, which proved to be a huge fan favorite and topped our Best Rigs of Mountain West list.
- GME launched its new XRS handheld radios at Mountain West. You can check it out, plus some more great gear, in our Best Gear of Mountain West post.
- Alu-Cab brought the ModCAP Drive Off base to East, marking its US debut. This and some other brand-new items made up our roundup of the Best Gear of East.
By the numbers
As you can already tell, 2026 was a big year for each Overland Expo, but as we review this season and prep for the next, some stats jumped out at us.
- More than 96,200 attendees across the five events.
- 1,673 exhibitor registrations, representing hundreds of companies showcasing the latest overland vehicles, gear, and accessories.
- 1,145 classes, seminars, demonstrations, and activities throughout the season.
- More than 1,195 hours of educational programming covering everything from off-road driving and vehicle maintenance to backcountry cooking and international travel.
- 399 presenters, trainers, and VIPs sharing their expertise and experiences.
- 271 media registrations across the five events.
- 3,764 registered canine overlanders joined their humans at Overland Expo throughout the year. Many pets were had.
- Attendees from all 50 states, with international visitors representing as many as 21 countries at a single event.
Overland Expo in 2027
Even though we’ve just wrapped up the 2026 events, we’ll be gearing up for 2027, so be on the lookout for more news about Overland Expo events that are just around the corner. Thanks to our community for all of the support, and we look forward to seeing you again in just a few short months.
