Berlin Festival: Party Like It’s 2008
Growing up in some small Bavarian town, getting to any festival at all felt like you were actually doing something. Rock im Park was about as good as it got. But after Hurricane and Melt, Berlin Festival was supposed to be the third one that year, the autumnal sendoff to the whole season. Music, crowds, stages. One more time.
The lineup looked decent—Beginner, Beirut, Suede, enough names scattered across the old Tempelhof airfield to warrant the trip. Three stages, bumper cars, food stalls, a mobile disco. The grounds weren’t bad for it. But the vibe never came together.
Odd Future cancelled last minute. James Blake got 2pm on a Friday—who’s even awake then unless you’re still drunk from Thursday? Fans paid extra for special shows. The whole schedule felt thoughtless, like someone filled time slots without considering whether actual human beings could attend.
The bands were ghosts from five years ago. CSS, Santigold, Yelle—I’d loved these, but there probably weren’t enough current artists willing to make the trip to Germany. It had that 2008 desperation, that reaching-back feeling. Gray weather the whole time. Thin crowds. And these marketing kids with clipboards trying to get you to join some brand community. I was half-waiting for one more approach just so I’d have something to tell the story about.
Buraka Som Sistema was the real thing. The singer was magnetic, the production clever, everything moved people. Silent disco worked even sober. The döner was the best I’ve ever had at a festival. Club Mate and a guy named Nike sweating through the whole set next to me.
Berlin Festival 2011 didn’t disappoint me so much as just not happen. Why not one ticket instead of confusing add-ons? Why not borrow that beach setup from Bread & Butter? Why schedule in September when summer weather existed? Details that added up to a missing experience.
I filed it under adequate and moved on. If you’re the kind of person who only leaves your favorite Berlin café once a year for music, you’re better off at Melt anyway.