The Cube 2026: Where football met car culture

If you're like most gearheads, you likely wouldn't think of spending a weekend at a futsal tournament to get your automotive fix. But, The Cube 2026 was no ordinary sporting event.

The event brought futsal, music, art, food, and car culture together in a 3-day festival at Aloki, Dhaka, which saw thousands of people flocking to the event. There was far more to distract anyone whose interests were not limited to football than just over 60 teams playing in the Open, Girls, U18, and U15 categories.

Filled with arcade games, foosball tables, live music, retail stalls, and food vendors, the venue was more akin to a lifestyle festival than a sports event. But in the middle of it all was an automotive display from the automotive partner and media collaborator of the event, Auto Rebellion.

A futsal game can become quite tense, you can stroll through an art show, admire a GT-R, then head to some food and spend the rest of the night at an EDM show. PHOTO: Akif Hamid

The team didn't want to fill the venue with rows of cars. The Glass House housed the centerpiece in a gallery format with a few well-chosen machines and canvas work. It was less a car meet and more an automotive exhibition.

Inside, attendees were able to interact with a Toyota AE86 in white, a blue Lexus IS, an orange Nissan GT-R, and a deep purple Land Rover Defender. The lighting, artwork, and presentation made the cars a part of a larger creative display, rather than just cars parked in a row.

Outside, a vintage Toyota Corona RT40 and a Toyota MR-2 stood out among the plethora of European and modern JDM exotics. PHOTO: Akif Hamid

Outside, a BMW 535i, a Mercedes-Benz E280, a bagged 10th generation Honda Civic, 7th generation Toyota Celica, a Toyota RT40, and a Toyota MR2 finished in Ferrari Rosso Corsa red. The limited number of cars meant that each one could be the standout rather than competing for attention. 

That said, one machine stole the show.

Suspended in the air by a crane was a cream-colored Toyota Mark X. Unsurprisingly, it became one of the most photographed attractions of the entire festival. Enthusiasts and casual visitors alike stopped beneath it to take pictures, videos, and the inevitable social media content.

The lighting, artwork, and presentation made the cars a part of a larger creative display, rather than just cars parked in a row. PHOTO: Akif Hamid

What made the event interesting wasn't simply the cars themselves but the crowd that they drew. A futsal game can become quite tense, you can stroll through an art show, admire a GT-R, then head to some food and spend the rest of the night at an EDM show.

It formed an unusual blend of communities that don't ever share the same space. Football fans were found looking at vintage toyotas, while car enthusiasts wandered into sporting events and concerts they might otherwise have ignored on any other day.\

Unsurprisingly, Shah Cement's Toyota Mark X, that was suspended in the air by a crane, became one of the most photographed attractions of the entire festival. PHOTO: Akif Hamid

The Cube 2026 wasn't attempting to be yet another typical car meet. Rather, it demonstrated that the automobile culture can exist beyond the norm. This was especially demonstrated with the Glass House display, where cars could be shown as creative objects as well as a parking lot.

If you were a petrolhead, it was something different. A whole weekend dedicated to football, art, music and machinery on the same stage.