Hey team
Welcome back to the blog! The weekend of 5th June was none other than BZ Fest 2026, hosted by my friends at BZ Tactical at their store in Teeside, UK.
What is BZ Fest though? I hear you ask. BZ Fest is an annual event described as an "all-day airsoft & paintball extravaganza" - and they aren't wrong. Think huge giveaways, discounts, and checking out new and exciting products from brands. I've been looking forward to this one for a while, and it absolutely did not disappoint. Let's chat about everything BZ Fest!
From our home in Derbyshire, BZ Tactical is around a 2.5 hour drive and is easily accessible from the motorway. It's a straightforward journey - no complicated back roads or anything like that, which makes it a pretty stress-free trip if you're travelling from further afield too. The surrounding area has a Greggs, a Starbucks, and a Hickory's Smokehouse, so if you get peckish at any point there are plenty of options nearby. On a regular day, you can find ample car parking in their car park to the side of the store, but on BZ Fest day, because of the vendor and waiting areas, parking is on the road on a first come, first serve basis. As it's an industrial estate there is loads of room - you just might be a little further away from the store depending on what time you arrive. We got there at just before 9am and managed to get a spot just down the road from the main entrance, so arriving early definitely pays off.
It is a ticketed event, and the tickets were priced at a very reasonable £5. Early bird tickets (purchased before 4th May) included a free BZ Fest 2026 T-shirt, which is a nice touch - honestly great value even before you factor in everything else included. All tickets covered: a 10% discount across everything in store (excluding pre-orders, custom two-toning, and Planet Eclipse items), entry into the huge free giveaway draw, entry to the 50m indoor target range to try out new airsoft replicas, and entry into the outdoor vendor area filled with stalls from some of the biggest brands in airsoft and paintball.
Stalls in attendance on the day included Airsoft Competitions, Dirty Dog Airsoft, HK Army/Hostile Airsoft/Push Tactical, ICS Airsoft, Lancer Tactical Europe, Northern Spectre Airsoft, and Wolverine. It's my understanding that a number of stalls were unable to attend last minute, so the selection was smaller than originally planned - which was a shame, but the brands that did show up brought solid representation. Alongside the vendor stalls, BZ also invited live singers down for the day, plus a couple of food vans serving up pizza, tendos, and ice cream. It gave the whole event a really festival-like atmosphere rather than just feeling like a busy shop day, which I think makes a big difference to how enjoyable it is to spend the whole day there.
The indoor target range was a highlight for me personally. Getting hands-on time with replicas you're genuinely considering buying such as the Wolverine MTW AK - in a controlled, pressure-free environment - is something you really can't replicate from watching YouTube videos or reading spec sheets. If you're ever on the fence about a purchase, that kind of trigger time is invaluable. It was well set up and a great addition to the event.
The raffle, however, was the undisputed star of the show. Over £35,000 worth of prizes were being given away from brands including CTM Tac, VegaForceCompany, Archwick, Tokyo Marui, Action Army, PTS Syndicate, CRBN, GATE Enterprise, Wolverine Airsoft, Wiley X, G&G Armament, AceTech, Amarok Sports, Laylax, Viper Tactical, Rebel Precision, KWA, Planet Eclipse, Waldo Dynamics, HK Army/Hostile Airsoft, Deadly Customs, Lancer Tactical, FRAG Grenades, Vortex Optics, Earmor, EMG, Airsoft Competitions, ICS, 101 Inc, and more. One of the top prizes was a Wolverine MTW - which, as you might know if you've been following along, is pretty close to my heart right now. The energy in the room during the draws was something else entirely. Even if you didn't win, it was genuinely exciting to be part of.
All in all, BZ Fest 2026 was a brilliant day out. Whether you're a seasoned player or just getting started, it's the kind of event that reminds you how good this community can be when it comes together. If you missed it this year, put it in the diary for 2027 - I'll definitely be going back.
Thank you Team BZ!
Photos by @dan_airsoft
