Cappadox Festival has me rethinking how I envisage a festival. As a UK festival fan I see gathering with friends and those of like mind to enjoy music and cider in a field. I anticipate that at some point I will get wet, both inside and out, and I come prepared for mud.
I expect quality music, perhaps some visual entertainment and an atmosphere that would save our health service billions if only it could be bottled. For me music festivals are the elixir of life, the beating pulse of the UK music scene. I have never seen music festivals in any other way. Until now.
Earlier this year a press release from Flint PR dropped into my Louder Than War mailbox. It advertised Cappadox Festival 2016. Like many of you this was a new one on me and, because I have worked with Flint PR in the past, I assumed this was a new UK festival.
A little exploration of the festival website revealed the festival was in fact smack bang in the middle of Turkey. The description of the location of Cappadox festival on Lonely Planet immediately had me intrigued.
“As if plucked from a whimsical fairytale and set down upon the stark Anatolian plains, Cappadocia is a geological oddity of honeycombed hills and towering boulders of otherworldly beauty. The fantastical topography is matched by the human history here. People have long utilised the region’s soft stone, seeking shelter underground and leaving the countryside scattered with fascinating troglodyte-style architecture.”
Photo courtesy of Cappadox Festival
I confess I was hooked. This sounds like the stuff of photography dreams. It is clear that Cappadox festival is about much more than just music. Cappadox aims to provide the definitive Cappadocia cultural experience through a progressive multi-disciplinary programme of music, contemporary art, gastronomy, nature and outdoor events over four days. In other words Cappadox aims to provide a unique experience in a unique location.
Cappadox Festival Music Line-up
Cappadox will host more than 20 prominent names in ethnic jazz, world music, experimental electronic and classic instrumental on five stages, including: The Sun Ra Arkestra, Dhafer Youssef Quartet, Fennesz, Erik Truffaz Quartet, Taksim Trio, Kaki King, Ceylan Ertem-Cenk Erdoğan-Cihan Mürtezaoğlu, İlhan Erşahin & Oceanvs Orientalis, Karsu, Laraaji, Esmerine, Gevende, Şirin Pancaroğlu, İnsanlar, Udi Yervant, Adam Hurst a nd Emre Engin.
Cappadox will also reveal Surprise names during the festival, to perform in the Full Moon and Sunrise Concerts.
Photo courtesy of Cappadox Festival
The prospect of taking a guided walk through the incredible landscape, on which Cappadox festival is located, to enjoy a sunrise concert to a backdrop of hot air balloons simply blows my mind. Guided walks, cycle rides yoga, meditation and pop up stages in incredible locations are all part of the Cappadox experience.
Cappadox arrived on the scene in 2015 and aims to help festival fans to experience something unique through music, contemporary art, gastronomy and outdoor events.
Cappadox has a fairly unique approach to festival pricing. Events can be booked separately and through a choice of two levels of access pass. Obviously the pricing is different dependant on how flexible you want to be. The highest price tickets offer the greatest range and flexibility and even the highest priced tickets are broadly in line with UK major festival prices.
Taken as a whole Cappadox festival offers an opportunity to visit an unspoilt region of Turkey to enjoy a unique cultural experience. With concerts from both local and international artists, contemporary art performances and installations, gastronomy events, 21 outdoor expeditions and a multitude of select well-being sessions spread across three days.
Cappadox 2016 has me excited, so much so that in three weeks time I will be on my way to Turkey. Be sure to keep an eye out for my review of the festival and find out if it can live up to my expectations.
Cappadox Festival takes place in Cappadocia, Turkey from 19th – 22nd May 2016 and tickets are available through the festival website.
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Cappadox Festival is on the internet here: The festival has a Facebook page, they Tweet as @CappadoxFest and check out their Instagram page.
Words by Alan Ewart, Photographs courtesy of Cappadox festival: you can follow Alan on Twitter at @soundofmysummer or on the internet at soundofsummer.org and you can read more posts by Alan at his Louder Than War author’s archive
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