India Bike Week 2026: Dates & Venue Confirmed
Darshan Aher · 1 September 2026
India Bike Week has officially locked in its dates for 2026, and organisers have confirmed the festival will run on December 4 and 5. What's arguably more notable than the dates themselves is where it's happening: for the second year running, IBW is staying in Panchgani, Maharashtra, rather than heading back to Vagator, Goa — the coastal town that hosted the event for well over a decade and had become almost synonymous with the festival itself.
A Second Year Away From Goa
If you've followed IBW for a while, this venue decision is the real story here. Goa's Vagator beach wasn't just a location for India Bike Week — for years, it was practically part of the event's identity, with its cliffs, palm trees, and laid-back beach-town energy shaping the whole vibe of the festival. So when IBW made the jump to Panchgani last year, it was a genuinely significant shift. The fact that organisers are staying put in Maharashtra for a second consecutive edition, rather than returning to Goa, suggests this isn't a temporary detour — it increasingly looks like where IBW plans to stay, at least for now.
That move away from Goa didn't come out of nowhere, either. Ahead of the 2024 edition, IBW founder Martin Da Costa had already flagged that the festival's space requirements had grown to roughly twice what they used to be, and that the team was actively exploring options beyond Vagator for the future. Panchgani appears to be the answer that stuck.
What's Confirmed for 2026
Beyond the dates and venue, organisers have outlined the broad shape of what's coming, even if a lot of the finer details are still under wraps. Confirmed so far:
- Custom motorcycle builds — a returning centrepiece of the festival, where India's custom bike builders showcase their work to attendees.
- Stunt shows — part of the festival's usual mix of high-adrenaline entertainment.
- Camping and bonfire events — leaning into the overnight, community-gathering side of the festival that's always been part of its appeal.
- Organised rides to the venue — IBW is putting together group rides from all major Indian cities, letting attendees travel to Panchgani together rather than solo.
- Event-specific merchandise — official merch tied specifically to the 2026 edition.
Registrations for these rides, along with further details on the custom build showcase and stunt line-up, haven't been opened yet. Organisers have said more information will be shared closer to the event, through the brand's official website and social media channels.
Not Just for Bike Owners
One Important Ticketing Change
If you attended last year's edition, there's a policy shift worth knowing about before you book. When IBW moved its venue from Goa to Maharashtra last year, organisers offered refunds to ticket holders who'd already booked under the assumption the event would be held in Goa. This year, that flexibility isn't on the table: the official website now explicitly states that tickets for IBW 2026 are non-refundable and non-transferable. Worth keeping in mind if you're planning your travel and accommodation around the event before locking in your ticket purchase.
A Decade-Plus of Building India's Biggest Bike Festival
For context on just how far this event has come: India Bike Week was first launched back in 2013 by Martin Da Costa, founder of Seventy Event Media Group (70 EMG), with the goal of giving India's passionate biking community a proper platform to gather, share stories, and celebrate motorcycling as a lifestyle rather than just a mode of transport. What started as a modest gathering has grown into what's now widely described as India's largest motorcycle festival, regularly drawing more than 20,000 attendees across its two-day run in recent years.
Over the years, IBW has built a fairly consistent formula that goes well beyond just bikes on display: custom build showcases from the country's best builders, track racing, stunt performances, live music, curated food festivals, beer gardens, and even stand-up comedy have all become part of the standard IBW experience. The 2024 edition, its 11th, ran under the tagline "The Next Chapter" and doubled as something of a decade-anniversary celebration for the festival with its longtime partner Jameson, bringing in voices like Elspeth Beard — the first British woman to circumnavigate the globe on a motorcycle — to share stories at the event's Big Trip stage alongside noted Indian riders.
Recent Editions at a Glance
| Edition | Year | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | 2024 | December 6-7 | Vagator, Goa |
| 12th | 2025 | December 12-13 / 19-20* | Vagator, Goa |
| 13th | 2026 | December 4-5 | Panchgani, Maharashtra (2nd year) |
*Reported dates for the 2025 edition varied slightly across sources at the time of announcement; treat the exact dates as approximate for that year specifically.
What Happens Next
With the dates and venue now locked in, the next things to watch for are registration windows for the organised city-to-venue rides, ticket sale openings, and the eventual reveal of which custom builders, brands, and performers will headline the 2026 edition. Given how consistently IBW has released this information in phases in past years, expect a steadier drip of announcements through the autumn months as December approaches.
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