Burn Istanbul Rooftop Festival returned for a sophomore appearance on Saturday 16 September, seeing off the summer with energy and style. Taking place at several of the city’s slickest rooftop venues, the day’s good weather meant that it was a perfect opportunity to explore the city, take in new locations for a late-night drink, and dabble in a diverse program that kicked off during the day and extended well into early morning hours. The schedule, while of course including the signature quality electronic performers that one would expect from a Burn event, also included gastronomy & cocktail workshops, rooftop yoga, designated tattoo zones, kite making seminars, body make up sessions, and plenty of boutiques from local designers.
The venues were all fairly classy and included 10 Karaköy, 16 Roof Swissôtel, Backyard, Flamme, Georges Hotel Galata, Izaka, KLEIN, KLEIN.garten, SuB Karaköy Hotel, and W Istanbul. For the regular late-night party goers, FLAMME, KLEIN and its sister KLEIN.garten are likely familiar territories, and thus it was nice to break out a bit and explore some of the other options. Having surveyed several attendees, everyone had made it to at least one venue for the first time that evening. Backyard was a bit further out than the other participants, with most people making a gauntlet of the four Karaköy venues or the five Beşiktaş/Şişli spots.
For the early evening slot, KLEIN.garten really stood out as having the best vibes, especially around sunset. Situated near Pera Museum, the venue’s tunes could be heard long before arriving to the door. Once up top, the open air breeze, naturally decorated layout, and various places to post and chat or dance make it a perfect warm-weather haunt. Georges Hotel and Sub Karaköy both also offer their own distinctive style to the proceedings, but their early closing times hindered them from reaching their full potential.
As for the late night, there’s really no contest outside of FLAMME and KLEIN. Despite their somewhat awkward location, the venues boast some of the best decor for a late night spot that the city has to offer, especially for fans of electronic. Thus, it’s no surprise that the festival concluded with night owl sessions there.
Regarding performers, the program was quite full of both international and local talents, all keen on maintaining an upbeat atmosphere. J. Bernardt, Just Emma, Milo Häfliger, Ilhan Ersahin, and Hey! Douglas were among the best of the evening, all pulling impressive numbers and offering substantial sets to attendees. Ersahin’s early-ish slot was a great way to bring people out into the night and set the tone for the rest of the festivities. The Belgian synthpop talents of J. Bernardt were equally impressive and a great way to push attendees to try a new venue, as they were the main act of Swissotel. Hey! Douglas were of course up to their usual best, affirming themselves as one of the city’s finest offerings.
As one might expect, rooftop soirees mean a bit of fanciness. Bosphorus skylines don’t come cheap, but as it was seemingly the last big hurrah of the season, people seemed willing to get into the vibe. Nearly everyone dressed to the occasion, and while some donned eccentric outfits, in general, people seemed to keep it pretty city-friendly. It was fairly obvious when big groups of festival-goers were migrating from location to location and crossing paths on the street offered some shared camaraderie.
As the summer slowly fades away, it was surprisingly nice to have one event that felt like a “music festival” but didn’t involve packing bags and migrating too far. For most, it was just a quick walk or metro ride to their destinations and then home at a reasonable speed. Having become a bit burnt out on large affairs, the convenience and low key nature of it all was much appreciated. As far as conclusions go, it was an apt fit to a season packed with electronic energy.
Images courtesy of the organizer.
