UNFORBIDDEN Festival makes exciting debut in Istanbul [Review]

From the creators of Monkey Project, UNFORBIDDEN made its anticipated debut in Bonus Parkorman, Istanbul with the likes of Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, Loco Dice and many more.

There’s a new festival on the circuit, and its debut edition has already made some big waves in the electronic events scene. Based in Bonus Parkorman, Istanbul, UNFORBIDDEN Festival is aiming to put the Turkish city on the map as a hot new festival and entertainment destination, and the debut edition has proved this beyond a doubt. UNFORBIDDEN is ran by Monkey Project, an events company who partners with the likes of Afterlife and Diynamic, whilst also putting on their own events.

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Beginning with the strongest start possible, its star-studded lineup proved that this is a festival that will only grow from strength to strength. Featuring performances from world-class artists such as Jamie Jones, Honey Dijon, DJ Tennis, Chris Stussy and even a b2b from Marco Carola and Loco Dice, there were 38 artists in total, all bringing their own dynamic sense of DJ skills. Across two stunningly designed stages, the Coral Stage and the Moon Stone Stage, each curated an immersive experience for its large crowds, with industry leading artists performing at any given moment of the festival.

Not just focusing on excelling when it comes to the lineup, it also made sure to utilise every part of the festival grounds, and create experiences for its festivalgoers that weren’t just focused on music. A huge aspect of UNFORBIDDEN was the presence of artwork around the site. Recruiting artists such as Beste Alperat, Artem Martis, Ozan Oganer, Yasin Uysallar and many others known locally and worldwide, it bridged the world of electronic music and physical art together in an effective way. With different art to discover around every corner, exploration was at the forefront.

In the spirit of art and self expressionism, UNFORBIDDEN also hosted many workshops with spiritual trainers from Europe, Bali, South America and other regions, where people could connect with their minds and bodies through spiritual exercises, musical workshops and much more. Helping to create a unique atmosphere like no other event, this is just another aspect of what makes the festival so different.

Further adding to the experience with a high quality selection of food vendors to discover, all of this combined with the unforgettable DJ sets across the weekend made for the best start of the new chapter for UNFORBIDDEN’s history. Already looking towards building on this huge momentum, the organisers have begun to plan for the upcoming edition.

To be the first to know what’s going down, visit the festival website right here.