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The former airport's cargo hall and aeroplane hangar was transformed into a club for performances from 36 renowned and new DJs
By Lisa Henderson on 17 May 2023
Berlin-Tegel airport before decommission
image © Wikimedia Commons/Hans Knips
Berlin’s former primary international airport recently became the setting for a new concert series featuring renowned and burgeoning DJs.
German promoter ARTE Concert transformed Berlin-Tegel’s (TXL) former cargo hall and Lufthansa aeroplane hangar into a club for the event, dubbed TXL Berlin Recordings.
The series featured 36 DJs including international stars such as Ben Klock, Patrick Mason, Rebekah and Elli Acula, and newcomers such as Daria Kolosova, MCR-T and Nathalie Seres.
TXL Berlin Recordings was produced in March by SUOL Music and commissioned by RBB in cooperation with ARTE.
The concerts are streaming on ARTE TV every Tuesday and every second Thursday between 2 May and 22 June.
The series featured DJs including Ben Klock, Patrick Mason, Rebekah and Elli Acula
Until 2020, Berlin-Tegel was Berlin’s most important commercial airport with more than 20 million passengers per year. The decommissioned site is to be one of the largest urban development projects in Europe.
Airports have proved to be popular locations for live music events – especially in Europe.
Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, Germany, has served as a public park and outdoor concert venue since closing in the 2000s, hosting major festivals including Berlin Festival, Lollapalooza and most recently, Tempelhof Sounds.
Elsewhere, Slovakia’s flagship festival Pohoda has been making use of Trenčín Airport since 2004 and last year, On Air festival launched at Lotnisko Bemowo in Poland.
2022 also saw the opening of Europe’s largest outdoor music venue on unused land at the Reggio Emilia Airport, near Bologna, Italy. Harry Styles is booked to play the 100,000-cap RCF Arena on 22 July as part of his Love On Tour European run.
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