Art! Lawn 2013 in Bonn

Summer vacation, bad weather, bad mood? It doesn't have to be that way, even if you can't escape to southern seaside paradises this season, even if you live right in the city. Because our cities offer a lot of activities throughout the summer. As an example, we'd like to introduce you to "Kunstrasen Bonn" (Artificial Turf Bonn), which was first held in 2012 in Bonn-Gronau on the banks of the Rhine:

The idea behind Bonn's "artificial turf" is to establish a new venue for events, primarily outdoors, pretty much in the heart of Bonn, on the banks of the Rhine, which almost guarantees a unique atmosphere simply due to its location.

Between tall linden and chestnut trees, near the "Langer Eugen", which once housed the offices of the members of the German Bundestag, and the DHL Post Tower, next to the Rhine and Schiffchensee lake, a wide variety of performances take place on several stages from the beginning of June to the middle of September.

The stage right on the Rhine offers space for 10,000 spectators, who, thanks to a well-thought-out presentation – raised stage, sound system on the left and right sides – can enjoy an unobstructed view of the stars. And these stars will be making plenty of appearances on the artificial turf throughout the summer:

The opening act is local heroes BAP, who will perform a "three-hour home game" on the artificial turf on June 29, 2013, as BAP founder Wolfgang Niedecken once called his band's Bonn concerts. On July 3, 2013, exceptional talent ZAZ musical joie de vivre to the stage, a blend of pop and soul, chanson and blues, and a touch of gypsy jazz. On July 4, 2013, classical music lovers can look forward to an open-air performance of Carmina Burana.

At the beginning of July, fans of incredibly beautiful songs will first have their chance to hear Katie Melua on July 5th, 2013, and then things will get rocking: On July 14th, 2013, the Classic Rock Night takes place, featuring Deep Purple and Gov't Mule , along with guests, namely Triggerfinger and Crippled Black Phoenix , who will be performing as support acts on that July Sunday. Rumor has it that Deep Purple might even perform songs from their highly anticipated new album live for the first time, in addition to their well-known classics…

On July 15, 2013, the series continues in a similar vein with the legendary band Santana , who have been at the forefront of international rock music for around 40 years . Just under a week later, on Friday, July 20, 2013, Dieter Thomas Kuhn and his band will bring an unrestrained and cheerful dose of German pop music.

Then there is a break on the main stage for quite a while so that you travel with your children , and on August 23, 2013, the Norwegian band Katzenjammer much, much more beautiful and optimistic music to the stage than this name would suggest.

At the end of August, it's the turn of the "first music" enthusiasts once again, as the highly intriguing "The Richard Wagner Project" be performed for them. On August 30, 2013, the trumpeters of "Ten of the Best" will approach Richard Wagner's music in a new arrangement. To mark the 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth, internationally renowned guest stars such as Ken Norris, Roland Cabezas, Edson Cordeiro, and Ulita Knaus been invited to join the ten top trumpeters in an attempt to fuse Wagner's music with the fundamental tones of other musical cultures.

On August 31, 2013, Deichkind will first enchant or disturb their fans with an allegedly completely amazing stage show, before the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn opens the 2013/2014 season with a classical picnic on September 7

The farewell to summer begins on the main stage on September 13, 2013 with "joyful seafaring feelings" from Santiano, before Xavas, consisting of Xavier Naidoo and Kool Savas, present their extraordinary mix of soul and rap on September 14, 2013, and Tocotronic (17 new songs are announced), Get Well Soon and Sizarr end the season on September 15, 2013.

Can you think of any other musical taste that hasn't been considered here? Of course, the taste of those who absolutely hate being on lawns surrounded by huge crowds!

The artificial turf also has something to offer for them, of course, and without a "holiday break": namely the art garden, which is located by the lake, is open daily from 12, offers food and drinks and a cocktail bar, and of course a stage where, according to the organizer's website, "artists, newcomers and more" present themselves.

The following dates are scheduled for the Kunstgarten stage:

• June 30, 2013 Gabby Young & Other Animals
• 06.07.2013 DMG5 / Prät Pitt / From the Fourth
• 07.07.2013 6th popFARM Festival “Made in England”
• 12.07.2013 Soulsquad
• July 13, 2013 Positano, Support: Lino Felipe Brandi
• July 26, 2013 Cats n Fruits
• 08/06/2013 BE, 08/15/2013 Sunplugged – Open Mic
• 08/24/2012 Kill me / Daniel Vagant & more
• 25.08.2013 Trio Bonn Brasil
• 08/29/2013 Alex Amsterdam / Leonard London / Nkomba
• 06.09.2013 Heinz Ratz
• 21.09.2013 Bohai + Support: Fleur Earth & Friends of Reality

And then there's the Kunstpalast – for all those who have a natural fear of moisture from above, a tent will be erected on the Rhine meadows between July 18th and August 18th, 2013, offering space for around 2,000 spectators.

According to the organizer's website, www.kunstrasen-bonn.de , you can enjoy Beth Hart with her band on July 23, 2013, LaBrassBanda on July 25, 2013 , and Bonn.beats., with Lexy & K-Paul , Amine Edge & Dance, Ante Perry, Maxcherry, Björn Grimm and Rafael da Cruz, on July 27, 2013.

On August 2nd, 2013, Madsen perform with The Heart of Horror as the opening act; on August 10th, 2013, Sophie Hunger will take the stage; and on August 11th, 2013, the Scandinavian Music Festival will feature Iiro Rantala / Nils Landgren & a very special guest. On August 14th, 2013, Calexico is scheduled, followed on August 15th, 2013 by the emerging artist concert series "Introducing" with To Kill A King, Beacon, and Still Parade; and on August 18th, 2013, Heino likely provide a real surprise.

On August 19, 2013, The B-52's are scheduled to create a real party atmosphere at the Kunstpalast. How this is supposed to work, given that the Kunstpalast is only supposed to be standing until August 18, 2013 according to the organizer's website, is something you should inquire about there.

The website as a whole is not "unconfusing", at least if you want to get an overview in order to calmly choose your favorite event:

The organizer's website lists the aforementioned events, but if you go to the "Events" menu item on that same page and then to "Kunstpalast," the list looks completely different: The "Introducing" concerts for up-and-coming artists are not listed, nor is Bonn.beats. Instead, Helge Schneider (on August 4, 2013), Frau Jahnke has invited… (on August 3, 2013), an after-work party (on July 18, 2013), Kaya Yanar (on August 16, 2013), Bosse (on August 9, 2013), and the rest as noted above.

Incidentally, if you've read the numerous announcements that Mrs. Greenbird will be performing on the artificial turf and are now desperately and unsuccessfully searching the artificial turf's website – Mrs. Greenbird has long since cancelled the performance, but unfortunately, such helpful information is not provided to interested parties on the website.

The summer art on the lawn in Bonn is rounded off by the "Film Nights on the Rhine" , where you can see "Django Unchained" , Quentin Tarantino's rediscovery of the Italo-Western with a star-studded cast (Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc.) as " open-air cinema" on July 29, 2013

On July 30, 2013, Argo , a political thriller by Ben Affleck , in which he also plays the main role, will be released; other very well-known names involved include Alan Arkin and John Goodman.

On July 31, 2013, "The Broken Circle" will be shown, the beautifully bittersweet cinematic hit by Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen, where you will probably let your tears flow even more freely under the open sky than in the cinema, and on August 1, 2013, you can experience "The Sound of Heimat" together with a curious New Zealand musician, a film after which you will surely see German folk music with completely new eyes.