"The Turkish Woodstock" 
Celebrating its third year, Istanbulive is an increasingly popular all-day showcase of Turkish music. This milestone event takes place every year outdoors in Central Park in New York during the summer at the 6,000-capacity Rumsey Playfield. Istanbulive brings together one of the largest-ever assemblies of musicians from Turkey on an American stage and presents the most diverse live music the nation has to offer. With over 12,000 attendees combined in 2009 and 2010, it continues to be the most prominent introduction of Turkish Music to the US. It is held as part of SummerStage, an annual, free performing arts summer festival founded in 1986.  Istanbulive III is supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of its ongoing efforts to promote Turkey as a destination country.

Istanbulive launched in 2009 with an all-star show featuring Mazhar Fuat Özkan, Sertab Erener, Demir Demirkan, Hüsnü Şenlendirici with NY Gypsy All-Stars and special guests Vassilis Saleas (Greece), Brooklyn Funk Essentials (US) and Christiane Karam. The second edition of Istanbulive coincided with Istanbul being officially hailed as the European Capital of Culture in 2010 and featured Kenan Doğulu (with 12 piece live band), Duman, Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Session, Şükriye Tutkun, DJ Ozan Doğulu, Emrah Kanısıcak and the Collage Dance Ensemble. Istanbulive III will present a special 40th anniversary concert with Zülfü Livaneli, maNga and special guests on June 17, 2011.

Istanbulive is produced and presented by Serdar Ilhan & Mehmet Dede. Veterans of the New York concert and international music scene, the duo have presented a broad cross-section of top quality world music concerts at prestigious venues in NYC including Symphony Space, The Town Hall and Lincoln Center since the 1990s. Collectively, they have over 30 years of experience in the music business, have produced hundreds of events and continue to present the annual NY Gypsy Festival, now in its seventh year. Most recently they have re-launched Lower East Side club Drom and run the 300 people capacity downtown music hall year round.


Video Review of Istanbulive 2011

Video Review of Istanbulive 2009