Bikers Go Beyond Age to Display Adventures
The Ladakh-born festival is a one-day outing starting at 3 pm.
Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s upcoming weekend plan resembles what could once have been described as the “coolest thing ever” — though cool hardly does justice to a festival where people in their 20s and 70s come together for bikes, reggae and a whole lot of adventure.
This is Outback Echoes, which will be held at Airfield 29 on November 29, featuring crews, 4x4 contests, burnouts, and evening sets by several performers, including Chowraasta and the Arko Mukherjee Collective.
“Hyderabad has long been on our cards because we’ve seen the incredible energy among motorcyclists and adventure enthusiasts here,” says Karan Malhotra, who has helmed the Outback Festival. He calls this stop “our way of coming closer to the community that has long existed in Hyderabad.”
The Ladakh-born festival is a one-day outing starting at 3 pm. The afternoon begins with a mini-mix set, followed by 4x4 tug-of-war contests, burnout competitions, and a story room with “Friends of Outback,” featuring homegrown speed star Sean Roger, whose Audi R8 holds a national record, and aviator-host Captain Vicky Randhawa. Malhotra describes the format without any frills.
“This festival is purely an adventure-, music- and community-based festival. When we talk about adventure, we talk about motorcycling, BMX, 4x4 stunting and a whole range of outdoor experiences — be it paramotoring or even hot-air ballooning,” he says.
The evening will give way to bass. Dakta Dub brings a reggae and dub set; Rushil Aswal turns on an unplugged slot; Chowraasta performs a full live set at 8.15 pm; and the Arko Mukherjee Collective will close the night with their performance scheduled at 9.30 pm.
The schedule alternates between bike-stunting shows and burnout rounds, giving audiences a chance to watch machines and musicians play off each other rather than stand in separate corners. Malhotra points out that Outback was never built only for young riders chasing stunts.
“All in all, the essence of this festival is that it caters to all age groups. It is not designed purely for young blood or a specific genre. We see people ranging from 25 to 75 years of age who come together and complete this festival,” he says.
Airfield 29 itself brings a distinct flavour to the city’s weekend circuit. Capt. Randhawa, a long-time pilot, has spent years turning his strip into a space where microlights, classic cars and motorcycles coexist — exactly what Outback wants to showcase to Hyderabad’s riding crowd, road-trip regulars and casual listeners who might turn up just for the music. Malhotra calls the venue a clincher: “We found this beautiful, beautiful venue called Airfield 29, curated and crafted by Captain Vicky Randhawa himself,” he said.
