Magic Break is a stylish and sun kissed getaway in Turkey and it is shaping up to be a special one again this year with world class headliners such as Argy, Brina Knauss, Joyhauser, Laolu, Chris Avantgarde, Massano, Polo & Pan and over 30 more across the house and techno scene.
This superb festival in the gorgeous coastal city of Antalya, Turkey, from April 20-23rd, 2023 has many different stages, pool parties, and plenty more to explore as well as top level production.
Here we speak to co-founder Can Şalbiz all about how it comes together, the thinking behind it and much more.
Head to https://www.magicbreaktr.com/ for the last remaining tickets, and ensure you don’t miss out.
How has this year been getting this festival together? Do you enjoy it, is it torture, or somewhere in between?
Creating Magic Break has always been fun and challenging, with numerous meetings, countless emails, and hundreds of ideas, and we enjoy it to the fullest, even though it has its ups and downs.
This year it’s particularly more challenging (yet never a torture) than previous years because we didn’t make Magic Break last year (2022). Instead, we gave ourselves a break to gather new ideas and work on new possibilities to revamp our image. So we started something new this year, which is also our 18th anniversary. So it’s the same Magic Break with a brand-new face, I can say.
Who is behind this festival and what are their backgrounds?
There are four minds behind every aspect of our festival, all of whom have been in the entertainment business for 10+ years with engineering, tourism and economic backgrounds. But as a team, we are more than 30 hard-working people creating magic.
What was the initial idea and inspiration for the festival and when was that?
The first edition of Magic Break was in 2005. It started as a spring break tour from Istanbul to a 5-star hotel in Antalya, a true paradise with its brilliant sea and warm air on the shores of the Mediterranean, for Bogazici University students. Back then, there were no booked artists, no stages, just whatever entertainment the hotel had presented.
How hard was it to get off the ground? What did it involve?
As a matter of fact, our festival has become more popular from year to year primarily through word of mouth. Other students from other colleges wanted to join, and friends of friends wanted to tag along. That’s when we thought, “why not turn this into a festival”. Can’t really say it was very hard, but it definitely took some time. Sure, we wanted to fly high, but we also had to do it step by step. And after all these years, here we are, flying high but still aiming even higher with every new step.
The first Magic Break that featured any global artist took place in 2013 with 2 worldwide artists booked. And nowadays, Magic Break is an all-inclusive festival at a 5-star beach resort in Antalya with many stages hosting dozens of the hottest international artists and many international visitors, including college students, global ravers, white-collars, celebrities…
What are the key things to get right at the festival?
Every year, we build Magic Break on an overall experience. Unlike many festivals, we start planning from the theme, not the line-up. First, we choose our theme, as our participants have become accustomed to and waiting for years. For example, this year’s theme is “Garden of Hesperides”, and based on these gardens, which are symbols of beauty, mystery and wonder, we are telling a story in which history and magic come alive. After determining the theme, we ensure that almost everything the festival promises reflects this theme in some way. This means all our graphic and video designs, stages, decor, costumes, etc… Even in the main frame of the line-up, it is possible to see the influence of the theme.
Also, since Magic Break lasts 3-4 days, we attach great importance to providing an experience where people can connect with each other. That’s why the workshops, activities and shows are essential to us. In addition, we complete our desired vibe with art pieces we hand-pick or create from scratch. After making sure we get all the pieces right, comes the core aspect of Magic Break: the ‘feeling’. Our number one priority is that all our participants feel free, connected, safe and comfortable (with their own hotel rooms) during the whole festival experience. From the moment they leave this utopia after the festival ends, they will start counting the days until our next gathering.
What informs the booking and sound of the festival?
It is vital for us to include new-gen heavy hitters as well as big stars. We have our forward-thinking sound, and we are always open to innovation. For this reason, one can always observe minor and sometimes more major sound differences in our line-up from year to year. And if you take a closer look at the line-ups between editions in the 18-year history of Magic Break, you’ll feel like you’re in a tunnel about the recent history of dance music.
In addition to genre diversity, another issue we care about is the geographical diversity of our artists. Even though music, especially dance music, is a ‘global village’ in general, we know very well that every city’s underground scene has its own sound nuances. And we take great pleasure in reflecting these on our stages. For this reason, the countries of origin of the artists in our line-up are as diverse as those of our participants. For example, this year, in addition to Turkish local masters, we have Polo & Pan and Moojo from France, Chris Avantgarde and Skala from Germany, Massano, Josh Gigante and Henri Bergmann from the UK, Adam Ten from Israel, Natascha Polke and Laolu from Switzerland, Joyhauser and Maxim Lany from Belgium, Argy and Valeron from Greece, Paolo Ferrara & Lorenzo Raganzini from Italy, Marino Canal from Spain, Brina Knauss from Slovenia.
What were some of the biggest challenges of making this happen?
One of the major challenges is that we clash with Coachella every year. Since we are a rather boutique festival compared to the Valley, it makes it rather tough to book some of the most prominent international artists. Yet, every year we manage to create a beautiful line-up that we end up being very happy about.
What are you most looking forward to about this year’s event?
Same thing every year, I’m looking forward to seeing the “Magicians”, as we’d like to call our visitors, having a great time, enjoying the music, the beach, the sun, the activities, the festivities. In the entertainment business, it means everything when you see the smile on people’s faces.
What tips have you got for anyone coming about things to do and explore?
If you haven’t booked your room yet, do it NOW, as we are known to sell out every year, and right now, we are very close to filling our room capacities. And once you arrive at the festival, don’t forget to explore the after-parties all around the hotel blocks 🙂
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Website
Instagram: @magicbreak
Facebook: @magicbreaktr
Twitter: @magicbreak
TikTok: @magicbreak