Magic Break is a stylish and sunny Turkish getaway. Argy, Brina Knauss, Joyhauser, Laolu, Chris Avantgarde, Massano, Polo & Pan Over 30 more across the house and techno scene.
This wonderful festival in a gorgeous coastal city Antalya, Türkiyefrom April 20-23, 2023 has a lot to explore, including different stages, pool parties, and top-notch production.
Here, we talk to co-founder Can Şalbiz about how it all came together, the thinking behind it, and more.
For the last remaining tickets, visit https://www.magicbreaktr.com/ and don’t miss it.
How did you put this festival together this year? Do you enjoy it, is it torture, or something in between?
Creating Magic Break has always been fun and challenging, with numerous meetings, countless emails, and hundreds of ideas. It has its ups and downs, but we are enjoying it to the fullest.
Last year (2022) we didn’t make a Magic Break, so this year is especially challenging (but by no means torturous). Instead, we took a break to collect new ideas and work on new possibilities to revamp our image. So it’s the same magic break with a whole new face.
Who is behind this festival and what is the background?
There are four hearts behind every aspect of our festival. They all come from engineering, tourism and economics backgrounds and have been in the entertainment business for over a decade. But as a team, we have his 30+ hard working people creating magic.
What was your initial idea and inspiration for the festival? When was that?
The first edition of Magic Break was held in 2005. This started as a spring break tour from Istanbul to his 5 star hotel in Antalya. Antalya is a true paradise for students of Bogazici University with its wonderful sea and warm air on the Mediterranean coast. At that time there were no bookings for artists and no stages.
How hard was it to get off the ground? What did that have to do with it?
As a matter of fact, our festival grows in popularity year after year, mainly through word of mouth. Students from other universities wanted to participate, and friends of friends wanted to go with them. So I said, “Why don’t we make this a festival?” I wouldn’t say it was very hard, but it certainly took time. Sure, we wanted to fly high, but we had to do it step by step. And after all these years, we are flying high, but aiming higher with each new step.
The first Magic Break featuring world-class artists was held in 2013, with two world-class artists being booked. And today, Magic Break is an all-inclusive festival held at a 5-star beach resort in Antalya, featuring dozens of the hottest international artists on many stages, as well as college students, global raver, white-collar , celebrities and many foreign visitors.
What is the key to a successful festival?
Each year, we build Magic Break on our holistic experience. Unlike many festivals, planning starts with a theme rather than a line-up. First, choose a theme that participants will be familiar with and have been waiting for for years. This year’s theme, for example, is ‘The Gardens of the Hesperides’, which tells a story that brings history and magic to life with these gardens as symbols of beauty, mystery and wonder. After deciding on a theme, we make sure that almost everything the festival promises reflects this theme in some way. The influence of the theme can also be seen in the mainframe of the lineup.
Also, the magic break lasts 3-4 days, so I value the experience of connecting with people. That’s why workshops, activities and shows are essential for us. In addition, hand-picked artworks and artworks created from scratch complete the desired ambiance. After making sure all the pieces are correct, it’s time to get down to the core aspect of Magic Break: Feeling. Our top priority is that all attendees feel free, connected, safe and comfortable (in their own hotel rooms) throughout the festival. From the moment the festival ends and they leave this utopia, they start counting the days until the next gathering.
What informs festival bookings and sound?
It’s important to include the new generation of heavy hitters, not just the big stars. We are forward thinking and always open to innovation. Because of this, we see minor and sometimes even more sonic differences in our line-up from year to year. A closer look at the line-up between editions in his 18-year history with Magic Break will make you feel like you’re in a tunnel about recent dance music history.
In addition to genre diversity, another issue we care about is the geographic diversity of artists. Music, especially dance music, is generally a ‘global village’, but we know all too well that every urban underground scene has its own nuances of sound. And we are very happy to have these reflected on our stage. For example, this year, in addition to local masters from Turkey, Polo & Pan and Moojo from France, Chris Avantgarde and Skala from Germany, Massano, Josh Gigante and Henri Bergmann from England, Adam Ten, Natascha Polke and Laolu from Israel. I’m here. Joyhauser and Maxim Raney from Switzerland, Argie and Valeron from Belgium, Paolo Ferrara and Lorenzo Laganzini from Italy, Marino Canal from Spain and Bryna Naus from Slovenia.
What was the biggest challenge in making this happen?
One of the big challenges is colliding with Coachella every year. We are a fairly small festival compared to the Valley, so it is quite difficult to book some of the most prominent international artists. You can create a beautiful line-up.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?
Like every year, I look forward to meeting the ‘magicians’ who are having a great time enjoying the music, the beach, the sun, the activities and the festivals. In the entertainment industry, people’s smiles are above all.
What tips do you have for people coming to you about things to do and explore?
If you haven’t booked your room yet, book now. It is known to fill up every year. Once you arrive at the festival, don’t forget to explore the after-parties around your hotel 🙂
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Facebook: @magicbreaktr
twitter: @magic break
TikTok: @magicbreak
