Rock'n Coke

Rock'n Coke

Official festival logo
Status	It has ended
Genre	Rock, Alternative rock, Indie rock, Heavy metal, Electronic
Dates	Early September
Frequency	Annual (with interruptions)
Venue	Hezarfen Airfield
Locations	Istanbul, Turkey
Years active	2003–2013
Founded	2003
Founder	Coca-Cola
Attendance	60,000+ (weekend total)
Organized by	Pozitif Live

Rock'n Coke was Turkey's biggest outdoor music event, a real landmark for culture here. Pozitif Live put it on, with Coca,Cola as the sponsor. From 2003 to 2013, Hezarfen Airfield near Istanbul turned into a huge festival city every year for a weekend. It wasn't just gigs; it was like a whole social thing, showing Turkish young people what the festival life was all about and connecting our music scene with what was trending in the West.

History

Before 2003, music in Turkey was mostly stadium shows or clubs. There weren't any big camping festivals that lasted for days with lots of stages. The idea behind Rock'n Coke was to be Turkey's version of Glastonbury , a well,run, big event that could book famous acts from all over and still give local bands a chance to play.

Hezarfen Airfield was picked because it was perfect. It's a big, open space outside Istanbul, so they could build a whole temporary city, complete with camping, stages, food, and stuff to do.

Timeline

2003: First Time

The first one was a gamble. People weren't sure Turkey could handle something this big.

• Headliners: Pet Shop Boys, The Cardigans, Suede.
• What Happened: Over 30,000 showed up, proving people wanted this. The first year leaned towards Britpop and synth,pop, which made it feel pretty sophisticated.

2004: Going Alternative

They started adding more types of music, especially harder alternative rock.

• Headliners: Muse, Iggy Pop, The Rasmus.
• Cool Fact: Everyone remembers Muse's set as one of the best ever. That year was also when the Burn Stage started getting popular for underground electronic and punk bands from around here.

2005: Dark and Heavy

This one sticks out because of all the different kinds of bands.

• Headliners: The Cure, Korn, The Offspring.
• Best Moments: The Cure played for three hours – a total legend. Korn brought nu,metal into the spotlight for Turkish fans.

2006: Britpop's Back

• Headliners: Muse (back because everyone loved them), Placebo, Kasabian, Editors.
• Behind the Scenes: The camping area was better, and tons of people camped out, making the overnight thing a real tradition.

2007: Big Numbers

• Headliners: The Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Cornell, Franz Ferdinand.
• FYI: The festival got some flak for being sponsored and corporate, but it held its own as a key part of the music biz, even if it was commercial.

2009: Back After a Break

They skipped 2008 because of the money issues worldwide, but came back with the priciest lineup yet.

• Headliners: Linkin Park, Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, Kaiser Chiefs.
• Crowd Action: Linkin Park had the biggest single,day crowd Hezarfen had ever seen.

2011: Mix of Industrial and Electronic

• Headliners: Limp Bizkit, Moby, Travis, Skunk Anansie.
• The Vibe: This year had more cool visuals and electronic music than before.

2013: The End

The last one before they called it quits.

• Headliners: Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, Sigur Rós, Editors.
• What it Meant: Arctic Monkeys showed how big Indie Rock had gotten in Turkey.

The Downside

The festival got some pushback. Because it was so heavily sponsored, a rival festival called Barışarock (Peace,rock) started up, which was non,sponsored, anti,war, and anti,corporate. It made people think about the role of money in art, even though Rock'n Coke was still the main way big international bands came to Turkey.

Impacts

The festival brought millions of dollars to the local economy. Over 3,000 people worked there each year, from stagehands to security and food vendors. It also helped the local music equipment rental biz because the bands often needed gear from overseas.

Helping Local Bands

The festival helped local bands through the Rock'n Dark contest and the Burn Stage. Bands like Duman, Mor ve Ötesi, Athena, and Şebnem Ferah went from being local favorites to playing on the Main Stage, proving they could entertain a crowd just as well as the international bands.

Cancellation and termination of the event

The festival faced political pressure in subsequent years, and after the 2009 event, it was decided that the festival would be held every two years starting the following year. President Erdoğan described the young people making peace signs at the event as protesters. In 2013, a ban on alcohol companies sponsoring festivals was passed in parliament, eliminating the festival's largest source of funding. A farewell festival was held in 2013, and the festival came to an end.