U2 will perform in Istanbul at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Monday SEPTEMBER 6, 2010. A team of 1000 persons will try to entertain millions of Turkish fans.

The group will land tomorrow morning at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. They will be on the Bosphorus Bridge to film a special video on Sunday.

The U2 catering team is already in Istanbul since one week, to prepare the band’s favorite food and to get the shopping done.

Irish group’s catering team started working for a special menu with ingredients from butchers and special spices from all over the city.

130 trucks arrived to Istanbul with equipment for the stage. Sound and lighting systems will be completed in one day before the concert.

600 people work for stage productions and the U2 team has 300 people.

1000 square meters in the stadium is reserved for the kitchen. Team will use 28 rooms.

Also a special game entertainment room has been created for the group with PlayStation.

With more than 10 million albums sold worldwide, Snow Patrol will be guest performer on the stage with U2.

The legendary rock group U2 will be performing in Turkey for the first time with 360º Tour! Live Nation in collaboration with Pozitif and Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts presents the biggest event of 2010, with the support of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency: Legendary rock group U2 will perform in Turkey for the very first time, on 6th of September 2010, as part of its 360º Tour. This concert will be the biggest stadium concert to be held in Turkey. Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360º design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience. U2 360º also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure (which can be viewed at U2.com). With a cylindrical video system of interlocking LED panels, and a steel structure rising 150 feet from the floor over a massive stage with rotating bridges, the band has truly created a intimate 360º experience for concert goers.

The U2 360º Tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring and sponsored by BlackBerry. For complete U2 360º Tour and ticketing information visit: www.U2.com

Robbie Williams enjoyed his wedding reception so much he is having another one. The Take That singer, 36, and the US actress exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at their Beverly Hills home on Saturday. 

But Ayda, 31, wants another wedding for the family members that couldn’t make it, including her dad living in Istanbul.

‘She wants to see her gran again,’ says Haldun Evecan, 68, who was only able to speak to his daughter over the phone on her big day. ‘She’s 92 and would love to dance at Ayda’s wedding.’ 

Haldun missed much of Ayda’s childhood after splitting from her mum Gwen in 1982 and moving to Turkey. 
‘We were on the phone for about an hour together,’ he tells The Sun. 

‘I was wishing her happiness and apologising that I hadn’t been there for her as she was growing up. ‘We were both in tears during the call, but there were tears of joy. She was very happy to be marrying Robbie and I’m happy for her.’

An excitable Robbie couldn’t contain his pride as he saw his beautiful bride for the first time, explaining that “Ayda looked like the most beautiful girl in the world. The setting was so magical, and to be surrounded by family and close friends and then see Ayda appear looking so radiant was almost too much for me to take… I’m the happiest man alive”.

Istanbul has many magical settings for their second wedding.

Istanbul is this year’s European Capital of Culture, and IDW will be hosting many exhibitions from all around the world, with the theme ‘city and design’.

During the urban development of Istanbul, IDW is constituted on the role of design notion where the East and the West meets. IDW will be hosting designers and design exhibitions from around the world in Old Galata Bridge. Whole design world will be focused to Istanbul. With the participation of 25 countries, design based events in IDW will be followed by Europe and whole world.

Istanbul will reflect its design culture to the whole world through world media and international designers. Today, what differentiate each product and service are; the urban development and the design notion, that provides interaction amongst cultures.

IDW 2010 is an event with the goal of bringing a new breath to design vision by relating Istanbul-the new design center-to Europe and other world cities. Istanbul’s energy of the youth, dynamic urban identity, culture that encourages creativity and variety regarding daily life will be the keywords to reflect Turkish design vision. This event will become Europe’s one of the most important urban projects.

Worldwide famous, creative designers will share their experiences in these seminars, panels and conferences which are open to everyone.

More infomation at www.istanbuldesignweek.com

Koray Ardıç, Efes brands marketing manager, said at the street party: “Efes Pilsen has been an indispensable part of social life. The Sokakta Hayat Var project, for which we have gathered all events and activities, puts emphasis on how much Efes Pilsen supports music.”

The song “Sokakta Hayat Var,” which was performed by the band “Model,” is one of the symbols of the project, and it also reflects the excitement in the streets.

At the website www.sokaktahayatvar.com, you can find the details about the events.

One of the most powerful voices of soul and modern R&B, Seal is known for his renditions of popular hits such as “Killer”, “Crazy” and Grammy-awarded “Kiss from A Rose”. Born in 1963 in London, Seal was educated as an architect and modelled for a while. His silky voice and his unique singing style quickly brought him international fame in the 1990s, and he became one of the most popular British soul vocalists of the decade. Produced by David Foster, Soul, his sixth studio album, features interpretations of soul and jazz standards.

The artist is expected to give a silky smooth concert to his Turkish fans with his band, which consists of Steve Sidelnyk on drums, Mark Summerlin on guitars and backing vocals, Marcus Brown on bass, keys and backing vocals, Gus Isidore on guitar, Carol Jarvis on trombone and backing vocals, Sarah Field on baritone saxophone, trumpet, backing vocals, Georgina Bromilow on trumpet and backing vocals and Katie Samways on saxophone and backing vocals.

Seal is also well-konown for his personal life, as he is married to one of the most popular Victoria’s Secret angels, Heidi Klum.

On June 11, 2009, Seal, on tour with “Soul,” said, “It is nice to be in newspapers and magazines for something other than my marriage.”

He said his marriage may take away the attention, but doesn’t detract from what he loves doing: making music.

On Oct. 5, 2009, nearly five years after the couple married, Klum filed a petition to change her name to Heidi Samuel.

SEAL
19 July Monday / 21:00
Cemil Topuzlu Açık Hava Sahnesi

Tickets available at biletix.com

The group will hit the stage Saturday and present its last album, “The Dance.”

British electronica band Faithless, consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo is best known for their dance songs (“Insomnia”, “God Is a DJ” and “We Come 1″). Faithless have recorded several albums offering a wide variety and blend of styles. During their career they have sold over 12 million records worldwide.

The band was formed in early 1995, and their debut single “Salva Mea (Save Me)” was released in July that year.

Jazz acted as a vocalist, whilst Bliss constructed most of the music herself electronically, but also played the piano, violin, saxophone and bass guitar. Rollo heads and produces the band.

The group had remarkable success first in the United Kingdom and then throughout the world. Meanwhile, the lead female vocals for many of the group’s songs are performed by Pauline Taylor, who also performed lead vocals for singles by Rollo, namely “Rollo Goes Mystic” and “Rollo Goes Spiritual.”

Faithless have released six albums of their own work, the first four gaining moderate success on the U.K. Albums Chart. The albums are “Reverence,” “Sunday 8PM,” “Outrospective” and “No Roots.”

Maxi Jazz brought out an album before the formation of Faithless and also worked on pirate radio. He also collaborated with Faithless founding member Jamie Catto on his new project 1 Giant Leap, guesting on a song with Robbie Williams.

The single, “Not Going Home,” was released on May 4, 2010, while “The Dance” was issued on May 16, 2010.

Tickets available at biletix.com

date : 17.07.2010 18:00:00
venue : Küçükçiftlik Park

Ticket prices
Front Stage: 180,00 TL
General Admission: 80,50 TL

Event information
18:00 Kapı Açılış & Tutan (DJ Set)
20:00 Bedük
21:30 Faithless

This multi-storey pub hosts a range of live music acts including rock, pop, metal and indie. DJ’s also feature. This unique bar is lined with artwork and jesters. The upstairs balcony, with glass floor and seating, is popular.

With its classy decor that features funky art work and caricature-like depictions of the court jester hailing from a deck of playing cards, coupled with the chic Hard Rock Cafe styled, guitar-shaped bar, and a piano table, this bar-cum-live entertainment venue will definitely redefine your idea of ‘swank’.

This venue is composed of three parts: the main area, lounge area in the back with chairs and tables, and a third balcony floor with a glass floor. Teoman, Kangroove, Chantage and Rebel Moves are among the bands who perform on a regular basis at Balans. There is also a happy hour every evening from 19.00-22.00. Additionally, Tonique, which opened within Balans, features live DJs often.

Also worth mentioning is that this venue has a balcony seating area that boasts of a glass floor! Besides the upbeat ambiance, Jolly Joker Balans also features impressive DJ sets and excellent live performances by rock, indie, alternative, and metal music loving soloists and bands.

Check website for event timings and additional details.

Address:
Jolly Joker Balans
Beyoğlu Balo Sokak 22 Numara
Tel: +90 212 249 07 49
Fax : +90 212 251 77 63
info@jollyjokerbalans.com

More info at www.jollyjokerbalans.com

The Istanbul cafe chain House Cafe opened their second boutique hotel, after attaining great success with the House Café brand, three Turkish entrepreneurs have teamed up with Irish private equity firm Kerten, aiming to spread the concept to boutique hotels in Turkey and abroad. The second ‘House Hotel’ was launched in Istanbul’s posh Nişantaşı district on Friday. Speaking to journalists, the entrepreneurs say they plan to launch three new boutique hotels in Istanbul next year.

The group has been running apart hotels and luxury hotels in Istanbul, first in Galatasaray and now in the Nişantaşı neighborhood. The group is planning to launch three new boutique hotels in Istanbul next year.

Welcoming all Istanbul lovers, House Cafe Chairman Baltacıoğlu said the cafe started its journey nearly eight years ago now has 10 cafes in Istanbul and one franchise in Ankara.

“Afterwards, we started our first hotel, the House Hotel Galatasaray,” he said. “We realized that there was a great growth potential in the concept of boutique hotels in Turkey.”

The company is planning to apply the unique design and concept of House Cafes to House Hotels and build new boutique hotels around the world.

Prices at the House Hotel start from 180 euros a night and rise upward of 450 euros.

Address:
The House Hotel
Abdi Ipekci Cad. No: 34
Nisantasi – Istanbul 34367

Reservations: +902122443400

www.thehousehotel.com

An unusually striking voice, an arresting show, a modern time legend: the one and only Grace Jones is finally in İstanbul! A Jamaican-born contralto, Grace Jones was always in the spotlight with her outstanding physique, original, innovative and avant-garde look, androgynous stage persona, amazing vocal performance, and stage shows. A style icon from her 1977 debut album Portfolio to last year’s Hurricane, her discography is replete with works such as Island Life and Nightclubbing. A performance not to be missed!

Grace is a singer and a model, and has also appeared in movies – most notably as May Day in James Bond movie A View to a Kill. She is known for being eccentric, and loves to play up to her image.

Grace Jones would also come to popularize the “Flat Top” hairstyle, by wearing it at many of her concerts in the 1970s, worn by numerous black men in the 1980s. Her first album cover to feature this hairstyle was 1980′s “Warm Leatherette”.

Grace practiced both recording and acting careers, although her acting often overshadowed her musical output – except in Europe where her profile as a recording artist was much higher. Her strong visual presence was an advantage to her music videos and concert tours. In her concert performances, she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes, particularly during her years with Goude. One such performance was at the Paradise Garage in 1985, for which she collaborated with visual artist Keith Haring for her costume. Haring painted her body in tribal patterns and fitted her with wire armor.

Even though Jones is known for her music career, which mainly focused on disco music, her flamboyant visibility always drew attention.

The 62-year-old has been famous for over three decades, and has learnt a lot about being in the public eye in that time. She is understood to be seeing a man who is several years younger than her, and she was spotted holidaying with the hunk earlier this year.

Grace has refused to confirm or deny the romance, revealing she has personal reasons for being so secretive.

Tickets available at biletix.com

Those who love jazz will enjoy a concert that promises cool breezes from the Bosphorus and a memorable start to a splendid festival.

Lisa Ekdahl’s music was the hottest thing in Istanbul, playing her first concert in Turkey for the 17th International Istanbul Jazz Festival on Tuesday, the Swedish singer lit up the stage at the Marmara Hotel Esma Sultan.

One of the most famous pianists and composers of cotemporary jazz music, Chick Corea and his Freedom Band, will be on stage on July 7 for the first open-air concert at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre.

The 16-time Grammy award-winning artist will be accompanied by Kenny Garrett, considered one of jazz’s most competent saxophonists. Legendary crooner Tony Bennet will also perform at the Open Air Theatre on July 15, with a support performance by the Kerem Görsev Trio.

Grace Jones is another of the international superstars performing at the Open Air Theatre. Renowned for her striking voice, arresting shows, Jones is a modern legend with a career spanning musical styles from disco to rock and will play in Istanbul for the first time ever. Uncompromising in her image and her dashing attitude, Jones will perform July 16.

One of the most powerful voices of contemporary music, known for his renditions of popular hits, Seal will also play the Open Air Theatre July 19. Seal proved to be one of the most powerful voices in modern R&B with his latest album “Soul.”

During the festival there will be also street concerts all over Istanbul with the support of the U.S. Consulate. This year the Panorama Jazz Band from New Orleans will be among the acts singing in the streets of the city.

Tickets for the festival are available at Biletix.

Organizers are also releasing a special Istanbul Jazz Festival CD featuring works by artists performing at the festival.

More info at www.iksv.org