BENGALURU: Get a taste of the laid-back days in the city at ‘The Beantown Backyard Festival’. As the name suggests, the festival draws inspiration from the legend of how Bengaluru got its name. It is said that Kempegowda, inspired by a poor woman’s gesture who provided him shelter, decided to name the city Bengaluru aka Benda Kaalu Ooru (Bean Town) after the boiled beans he was offered during his stay.
The outdoor entertainment, music and brews festival will feature a musical extravaganza with 36 internationally-celebrated artistes such as Asian Dub Foundation, a multi-cultural British brand; Kutle Khan Project, the Indian folk musician, and Parvaaz, the contemporary Indian music band. The first-edition of the two-day festival will be held at Canterbury Castles, on the foothills of Nandi Hills.
Mirza L Baig, co-founder of Eblitz Creations, says, “We looked at Bengaluru as a city and thought what are the things that this city loves.
It has always been synonymous with welcoming anything that’s new, especially music. It’s been ready to experiment with music, has always loved its beer and has always been known for its small eateries. Today, with the influx of IT and BPO, the charm of the city is losing. The laid-back city and scenes of chilling in the city are diminishing. So, that’s how we thought of making a festival with a combination of all aspects and provide a weekend getaway experience at Nandi Hills, which used to be the hotspot, a couple of years ago.”
Kabir Ahmed, festival director of The Beantown Backyard Festival, adds, “Back in the day, people bonded in open spaces. They gathered at Cubbon Park and had picnics with food and music in the 70s. Today, we have bandstand but no bands playing there. There are parks but no people there. What we celebrated as a culture with people or music is diminishing. We want to bring back a sense of nostalgia. Just about two hours drive and you’d be transported to old Bengaluru - lush green landscape, breeze, birds and all.”
He claims that this is the first festival in the country to open its gate at 7 am. “The morning experience of the fest is different from how it shapes up through the day. It focuses on wellness, and includes yoga, hot air balloon ride and hikes up the hill. Around 9.30 am, music starts playing and it goes on till 11 pm,” he says.
The festival can accommodate around 4,000 people. “We have tied up with BMTC to provide shuttle services every 30 minutes from 6.30 am. There’s also overnight camping that can accommodate 300 guests. There are some musicians who would also be camping there,” he adds.
Festival highlights
Fans can make an entry to the festival through a 500-metre
zip-line, running from the box office to the stage area. There will be yoga sessions with Buddhist monks, and music, to highlight the importance of wellness today.
Where: Nandi Hills When: October 27, 28
Tickets are available on insider.in