This summer, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) returns with the 30th edition of their popular Istanbul Jazz Festival series, taking place both indoors and outdoors at charming venues across the city. Featuring performances from a wonderful array of international talents, it’s set to be a memorable year for fans of a wide scope of jazz, taking place from Saturday 7 July through Tuesday 18 July. A full and detailed program of performances, as well as ticket information, is available via the official page for the Istanbul Jazz Festival.
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From the organizer:
30th ISTANBUL JAZZ FESTIVAL
7-18 July 2023
Organised by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by Garanti BBVA, the Istanbul Jazz Festival is set to entwine the month of July with music for the 30th time. The festival invites the audience to explore and experience innovative work all around the city.
Experience the city with jazz
For this year’s festival, some of the most beloved venues are set to host music lovers once again on top of the newer ones. Taking its name after Esma Sultan, the daughter of the 32nd Ottoman ruler, Sultan Abdülaziz, the historic mansion has borne witness to several historic events and figures over time. The Marmara Esma Sultan Mansion, once again, is set to welcome the audiences for a very special night of music under its historic atmosphere.
Summer and the festival meld together at the open-air venues. Sultan Park-Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Beylikdüzü Valley of Life and Küçükçekmece Lakeside Amphitheatre are once again set to host the audiences under the summer sky. One of the biggest forests of the city and the most innovative ones, Parkorman awaits to offer nights to remember with a star-studded line-up under the star-studded summer sky. Bosphorus welcomes the audiences at one of the new venues joining the festival this year, Robert College. The terrace will surely be hosting a magical night of music.
The festival sees the return of The Jazz Boat where the audiences get to sail along the entire Bosphorus and listen to incredible music; an experience one can only get once in a lifetime. Night Out with +1 also returns to offer the most vibrant night of the festival where the music travels over Kadıköy at multiple venues: Moda Sahnesi, Dorock XL, Kadıköy Cinema and The Wall.
The forest awaits: three nights full of jazz, rock and pop at Parkorman
Kovacs // Riff Cohen & Okay Temiz “The Ritual” // Mert Demir // Takeshi’s Cashew
Saturday, 8 July
A line-up of impressive artists is set to start the Parkorman concerts this year.
Previously taken the stage on festivals such as Glastonbury and Sziget, and have shared the stage with stars including Robbie Williams; Sharon Kovacs visits Istanbul for this year’s festival. Before Kovacs, music lovers will get to experience the premiere of a very special project “The Ritual” by Riff Cohen & Okay Temiz.
The progressive jazz group Takeshi’s Cashew will be first, whose music is inspired by Anatolian Funk, Krautrock, and Afrobeat. Known for his recent collaboration with Mabel Matiz on the song “Antidepresan”, one of the most beloved songs of the year, Mert Demir will be the next artist to take the stage at Parkorman.
Morcheeba // Alfa Mist // Ekin Beril // Mammal Hands
Sunday, 9 July
The forest is set to welcome the new generation of virtuosos on this fine Sunday evening.
Festival-goers will witness the performance of Morcheeba, whose foundations leaning towards low-tempo trip-hop and rock are bound together by Skye Edwards’ deep R&B-based vocals; and the magical stage of Alfa Mist, which moves freely between different subgenres of jazz while keeping its hip-hop inspirations at its core.
Ekin Beril, who has been taking firm steps forward in her career with her looped music and a cappella videos, will be warming the stage up for Mammal Hands, which draws on electronic, contemporary, classical, world music, folk and jazz.
The Lumineers // Adamlar
Wednesday, 12 July
The last night of the festival at Parkorman will feature The Lumineers, who have managed to expand their folk music adventure, with its humble beginnings in the tiny music clubs of Denver, Colorado, to the whole world. They have solidified their place among the greatest bands of the modern folk genre in a brief period of 10 years, gaining a considerable fan base for their subtle and touching songs that tell the sad stories behind smiling faces including the cinematic “Stubborn Love”, “Ophelia”, “Angela”, and “Cleopatra”. For this concert, Adamlar, one of Türkiye’s favourite new-generation bands, will be warming up the stage for The Lumineers.
Jazz over the Bosphorus
A night with Youn Sun Nah Quartet
Friday, 14 July
Youn Sun Nah is widely acclaimed for her talent in different music genres and her clear vocals. This versatile musician has interpreted pop, rock, and jazz from a contemporary perspective and has also been highly regarded for her sensibility toward social issues. The audience is invited to Robert College’s Konak Terrace to listen to Youn Sun Nah Quartet.
A revolution in Afro-pop: Fatoumata Diawara
Monday, 17 July
An impressive Afro-pop artist Fatoumata Diawara joins the festival this year. Diawara, who sings in Bambara, the national language of Mali, has performed and recorded with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Bobby Womack, Flea, and David Crosby and has also taken part in Brit-pop legend Blur frontman Damon Albarn’s Africa Express project.
For an evening to remember, the festival invites music lovers to The Marmara Esma Sultan Mansion, a venue with one of the most impressive views in Istanbul, to discover Diawara’s breathtaking artistic approach to music and her vibrant and colourful world.
From the Heart of America to the Bosphorus: Lizz Wright
Tuesday, 18 July
With her impeccable vocals and emotional songs, Lizz Wright sheds light on American history. Elif Sanchez, who brings jazz, flamenco and Latin music to life with her unique vocals, will be with the audiences before Lizz Wright on a night of smooth transitions between musical genres at Sultan Park-Swissôtel The Bosphorus. The event is sponsored by Snoc Outdoor Furniture.
The Jazz Boat sails once again!
With swing and entertainment at the helm, the Jazz Boat will anchor from Kabataş Pier on Sunday, 16 July at 11.00 and cruise along the entire Bosphorus to Anadolu Kavağı. Norwegian Swing’it, known for its admiration of the golden age of jazz in the 1920s, Flapper Swing with its authentic melodies and joyful repertoire, and the neo-brass ensemble Brassist will offer a unique Bosphorus cruise with their exuberant music. The event is sponsored by Mastercard.
Night Out with +1
One of the long-standing events of the Istanbul Jazz Festival, Night Out with +1 offers performances all over Kadıköy at venues Moda Sahnesi, Dorock XL, Kadıköy Cinema and The Wall on Thursday, 13 July. Performing on the most vibrant night of the festival are; Another Bitches Brew, Evdeki Saat, Sababa 5, Taşra Üçlemesi Caz Projesi, and The Flabbies.
Jazz in the Parks
Jazz in the Parks continues to bring music to the parks. This year’s concerts, which the festival offers free of charge, will be held in Beylikdüzü Valley of Life, Küçükçekmece Lakeside Amphitheatre and Şişli Habitat Park some of the largest green spaces in the city. On the 9th, 10th and 16th of July, Takeshi’s Cashew, a progressive jam band that successfully blends Anatolian funk, krautrock and Afrobeat, will invite the audience to dance. Right before Takeshi’s Cashew, music lovers will meet this year’s Young Jazz+ finalists on stage.
Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Can Kozlu
Can Kozlu, one of the greatest jazz drummers in Türkiye who has taught many drummers, will be presented with the 30th Istanbul Jazz Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award this year.
Tickets
Festival tickets can be purchased through the festival’s official ticket provider, Passo or at the IKSV box office. Ticket holders can enter the events by presenting their PDF ticket sent to their e-mail address and also stored under ‘my tickets’ section on the website of Passo.
Priority ticket sales for Tulip Card members: 20-23 March
General sale: Friday, 24 March
As part of the Eczacıbaşı Youth Ticket project, student ticket prices will be 10 TL.
Tickets can be purchased with a 10% discount to all Garanti BBVA credit cards as of 24 March.
All ticket-holders are advised to arrive at the venue 30 minutes prior to the event.
Festival programme: https://caz.iksv.org/en/programme
Tickets are available at https://www.passo.com.tr/en/
Festival supporters: https://caz.iksv.org/en/supporters
High-resolution images: https://www.iksvphoto.com/album/h0wczz
For media inquiries, please contact at media@iksv.org
About İKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts)
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) is a non-profit cultural institution founded in 1973 with the sole purpose in enriching Istanbul’s cultural and artistic life. Every year, the Foundation organises highly anticipated festivals of Music, Film, Theatre and Jazz; the Istanbul Biennial and the week-long Filmekimi. It hosts cultural events and artistic performances in various disciplines throughout the year at its home venue Salon İKSV, located at the Nejat Eczacıbaşı Building. İKSV also offers a creative events program for kids and teenagers at IKSV Alt Kat.
İKSV organises the Türkiye Pavilion at the International Art and Architecture Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia. Conducting studies and drafts reports with the aim of contributing to cultural policy development, the Foundation also supports artistic and cultural productions by presenting awards at the festivals, commissioning works, taking part in international and local co-productions, and the artist residency program at Cité Internationale des Arts in France, as well as the annual Aydın Gün Encouragement, Talât Sait Halman Translation, and Gülriz Sururi-Engin Cezzar Theatre Encouragement Awards.
This year, with financial support from the European Union, İKSV launched an extensive project called Ortaklaşa: Culture, Dialogue and Support Programme, which aims to promote dialogue and collaboration between local governments and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) operating in the field of culture and arts in Türkiye. İKSV also recently created the Instrument Fund for the Earthquake Region by allocating a sum from its 2023 budget to provide instruments to music students and instructors affected by the earthquakes that took place in February.
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For more information and ticket details, be sure to keep up with the official page for the Istanbul Jazz Festival.
Content courtesy of IKSV.
