Gas & Dust custom motorbike festival returns to Benahavís this weekend

Far from a standard motorbike exhibition, the festival offers a broad cultural experience featuring photography exhibitions, workshops, and activities exploring the 'chopper' world from multiple perspectives.

Taking place on 29 and 30 May, this year's event will feature the prominent participation of Neil Zarama, a well-known motorbike builder and multidisciplinary creator, who will present one of his signature custom choppers as a centerpiece of the festival programme.

Zarama is a unique figure in the custom world. As the founder of Arrow Choppers, he is a craftsman dedicated to manual labour, combining technical precision and intuition with a strong sense of identity rooted in his Native American heritage. His arrival at the festival brings a distinct, highly regarded viewpoint to the international panorama of custom builders.

Zarama's life trajectory - marked by multiple stages and reinventions - finds its common thread in working with his hands. From his early years in workshops and garages to his evolution as an elite creator, Zarama has developed his own language around customisation, where every component satisfies both mechanical logic and a personal narrative.

Before establishing himself in the field, his journey spanned incredibly diverse experiences, ranging from the underground music scene in the UK and Oakland during the 1990s, to collaborations with tech and creative firms in the United States. However, it is within the world of choppers that his practice finds its most direct form of expression, seamlessly connecting artisanal tradition with contemporary custom culture.

This dedication to heritage is also reflected in his recent work in jewellery design. Zarama collaborated with fashion house Ralph Lauren on a collection tied to the Authentic Makers programme - an initiative that recognises and supports indigenous creators who preserve and reinterpret cultural symbols and traditional techniques. This artistic dimension adds an additional layer of meaning to his motorbikes, which are viewed not merely as mechanical objects, but as pieces that dialogue with history, identity, and craftsmanship.

Zarama’s presence connects directly with the core spirit of Gas & Dust: understanding motorbike customisation as a form of cultural expression. The event will bring together around 20 national and international builders who will present their latest creations, offering an up-to-the-minute overview of global trends in the sector.

Backed by Spain's leading motorbike clubs and operating in collaboration with Benahavís Town Hall, the festival has established a robust network that promotes its growth and European projection.

By showcasing figures like Zarama, Gas & Dust reinforces its commitment to creators who view the motoring universe through an artistic lens. The festival looks set to solidify its position as an essential fixture on the national calendar, beautifully bridging the worlds of automotive engineering, high design, and contemporary creativity.