Young Edge: How weekend street jamming on FC Road has grown into Punekars’ culture

Street jamming on FC Road has quietly grown into a subculture of its own. As evening slips into night, the young musicians take their positions, with guitars strapped and drums thumping. By midnight, the street turns into a stage, and the crowd, consisting of students, working professionals, and passersby, loses itself in the music.

“Instead of wasting time at the hostel, we come here to perform,” says Yash Jain, 23, a pharmacy student. “Music is my way of expression, and performing in public feels like I’m on top of the world.”

For Pushkar Jain, 18, the flute has been a calling. “I’ve been playing for five years. Jamming here, the experience is so calming. People surround you, sing along, and it gives you so much confidence. That is everything for me,” the BBA student says.

Jamming has been here since 2018

Some of the regulars have watched the scene evolve from its early days. “Jamming has been here since 2018. I come every Saturday and Sunday, the people bring me back,” says Aniket Yerule, 30, a working professional who plays the drums.

Full-time musicians say the street turns into a space of connection. For Unmesh Naik, 28, the space is his weekly reset. “Love and passion bring me back here every weekend. Music is so healing. The energy here is something else; people sing together and express themselves. It’s a way of connecting. The peace you get here, you can’t get anywhere else,” he says.

For Abhijeet Patil, 26, a freelancer, the charm lies in the freedom it offers. “The world is a stage. Playing the guitar amid the crowd makes me feel fresh. Street jamming gives you freedom to explore, and here, we get lost in the world of music.” Young students use the space for both passion and practice. “It’s easier to interact with the crowd here. The entire crowd comes alive, dancing and singing along. People forget their stress, and it makes me feel good,” says Vinil Gorde, 19, BBA student.

‘The experience is addictive’

And then there are the ones who travel across the city every single weekend just for the atmosphere. “I live 20 km away, but I make it a point to come,” says Abhay Jain, 27, who works in clinical research. “Singing is my passion. The appreciation I get from the crowd means so much to me. This is my therapy. The experience is addictive,” he shares.

On weekends, FC Road gets transformed into a place where strangers connect, sounds merge, and the music stitches together a tapestry of unforgettable moments. “I’ve been coming here since 2018, all my stress disappears after coming here, I’ve found great people here, and here you’ll get stories, friendships, love, everything. These jamming sessions give us a platform to express ourselves through our talents. Music can never be forgotten just like the memories I’ve made here,” says Vaishnavi Kaulagi, 29, an HR professional.