Former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond made a relaxed appearance at the Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales on September 19–20, 2026, just days after marking the 20th anniversary of the high-speed crash that left him with a serious brain injury.
Hammond, who now lives in the Abergavenny area, was among the notable figures attending this year’s festival. He also appeared on the official programme for a conversation about his travels, food experiences and Hammond’s Spirits, his premium drinks venture.
The appearance attracted attention because of its timing. On September 20, Hammond publicly reflected on the 2006 accident and thanked the emergency responders and medical professionals involved in his rescue and treatment. His anniversary message brought renewed attention to one of the most serious incidents of his television career.
Quick Guide
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Who | Richard Hammond |
| Event | Abergavenny Food Festival 2026 |
| Location | Abergavenny, Wales |
| Festival dates | September 19–20, 2026 |
| Hammond appearance | September 20, 2026 |
| Venue | The Angel Hotel Ballroom |
| Session | Richard Hammond in Conversation |
| Focus | Travel, food and Hammond’s Spirits |
| Crash anniversary | 20 years on September 20, 2026 |
| 2006 crash vehicle | Vampire jet-powered dragster |
| Crash location | Former RAF Elvington airfield near York |
| Festival scale | 120+ stallholders and 80+ chef demonstrations/events |
Richard Hammond at the Abergavenny Food Festival
Hammond’s festival weekend combined his connection to the local community with his growing interest in food and drink.
The Abergavenny Chronicle reported that Hammond was spotted in Nevill Street after his festival appearance, enjoying a coffee and reading a newspaper. The local publication described him as being in good spirits and quoted him saying he was enjoying his first Abergavenny Food Festival.
His scheduled appearance was part of the festival’s Sunday programme. Hammond joined Welsh broadcaster Steve Jones at The Angel Hotel’s Ballroom for “Richard Hammond in Conversation.” The event focused on his global travels, food experiences and the story behind Hammond’s Spirits.
The event description also highlighted Hammond’s career in television and his experiences travelling around the world, connecting his work in broadcasting with his newer interest in the food and beverage industry.
Hammond’s Spirits Adds a Local Food Connection
Hammond’s appearance was also closely connected to his spirits business.
The festival programme specifically promoted his conversation as an opportunity to hear about the development of Hammond’s Spirits. His involvement therefore extended beyond simply attending the event as a visitor and reflected his current work in the drinks industry.
Local coverage also reported that Hammond visited food producers during the festival, including Trealy Farm Charcuterie, where a festival-related salami featuring his Ratio gin was being showcased.
That connection between local producers and Hammond’s spirits business gave the celebrity appearance a distinctly Abergavenny feel, rather than making it simply another television personality appearance.
20 Years Since Richard Hammond’s Near-Fatal Crash
Hammond’s festival appearance came almost exactly 20 years after his 2006 Top Gear accident.
On September 20, 2006, Hammond was filming at the former RAF Elvington airfield near York when the jet-powered Vampire dragster he was driving crashed at extremely high speed. Contemporary reporting described the vehicle as travelling at around 300 mph, while later accounts have reported different speeds for individual runs.
The crash caused a significant brain injury and left Hammond in a coma for about two weeks. He later discussed experiencing memory problems and post-traumatic amnesia following the accident.
Hammond eventually returned to Top Gear in early 2007. His recovery and return to television became an important part of the public story surrounding the accident.
What happened to the Vampire dragster?
The vehicle involved was the Vampire, a jet-powered dragster capable of extremely high speeds.
Historical reports vary depending on whether they are referring to Hammond’s crash run or one of his earlier test runs. The Guardian reported that Hammond reached 288 mph on the run during which the crash occurred, while a later account of the BBC investigation reported that he had reached 314 mph on an earlier run.
That distinction is useful because the commonly repeated “300 mph crash” description does not necessarily represent the exact speed at the instant of the accident.
Hammond Marks the Anniversary With a Message of Thanks
On September 20, 2026, Hammond marked the anniversary of the crash with a personal message shared on social media.
He reflected on the moments surrounding the accident and expressed gratitude toward the emergency crews, medical professionals and others who helped rescue and treat him. Hammond said he was able to write the anniversary message because of the people involved in his rescue and recovery.
His comments placed the anniversary in the context of the life he has lived since the accident, including his television career, travels and family life.
The anniversary also arrived as Hammond was continuing to build a new chapter in Wales, where he has become a familiar local figure.
Abergavenny Food Festival 2026: What Visitors Could Expect
The Richard Hammond appearance was just one part of a much larger weekend in Abergavenny.
The 2026 Abergavenny Food Festival took place on September 19 and 20 and brought food producers, chefs, writers, makers and visitors into the town. The official festival website listed 120+ stallholders, 80+ chef demonstrations and talks, and events spread across 16 venues.
The programme included cooking demonstrations, food discussions, tastings, workshops, live entertainment and family activities. Under-16s were also admitted free, while the festival’s Kids’ Cookery School offered hands-on activities for younger visitors.
For Hammond, however, the weekend had an additional personal connection. It brought together his current life in Wales, his interest in food and drink, and a major anniversary from his past.
Why Richard Hammond’s Festival Appearance Drew Attention
The timing made Hammond’s appearance particularly notable.
Rather than focusing solely on the details of the 2006 crash, the weekend offered a glimpse of Hammond more than two decades into his television career and 20 years after an accident that had a lasting impact on his life.
His appearance also reflected his current professional interests. The official festival programme positioned him alongside food and drink personalities, with his session centered on travel, food experiences and Hammond’s Spirits.
Meanwhile, his anniversary message provided a reminder of how serious the 2006 accident had been and how important the emergency and medical response was to his survival.
Conclusion
Richard Hammond’s weekend in Abergavenny brought together two very different parts of his public story.
On one side was the 20th anniversary of the 2006 Top Gear crash, an event that resulted in a serious brain injury and a lengthy recovery. On the other was his appearance at a major Welsh food festival, where he spoke about travel, food and his work with Hammond’s Spirits.
The official festival programme confirms that Hammond was part of the September 20 schedule, while local reporting captured his more informal moments around town.
For many people following Hammond’s career, the juxtaposition was striking: two decades after one of the most serious moments of his television career, he was spending a September weekend engaging with food producers, speaking to festival visitors and taking part in the community around his adopted Welsh home.
His appearance therefore became more than a celebrity festival visit. It was also a timely reminder of how much Hammond’s life and career have changed since the 2006 accident.