Isarflux FestivalPowered by Gasteig trainees

Come Easter, come Isarflux

On Easter Sunday, 9 April 2023, Hall E will filled by the sounds of Florian Paul & die Kapelle der letzten Hoffnung, its name, “the band/chapel (the German word has both meanings) of last hope” as melancholic as their danceable music, and the spherical sounds of Fallwander. For those who like it wild and raucous, post-punk band Prohibition Prohibition will meanwhile rock Hall X. Coming all the way from London just for Isarflux, the British formation Kyoto Kyoto proves that Krautrock, far from dead, is alive and kicking.

“An awesome party, every time.”

The Isarflux music festival is organised by the Gasteig’s trainees and attracts a sizeable young audience. Each year since 2009, the trainees of the Gasteig have been planning the Isarflux festival themselves from start to finish. Preparations for the event, which takes place on Easter Sunday, begin as early as October of the previous year. In regular meetings, the trainees and their two trainers meet regularly to discuss and organise the festival. There are, after all, many decisions to make, such as:

Which bands should we invite? Do we want video installations or an exhibition? What should the sound, lighting and stage set-up look like? Once these decisions are made, the trainees draw up contracts and send them to the artists or their booking agencies. They book hotels and order the catering for the evening. And they use Instagram and other social media to reach as many potential visitors as possible.

“I think it’s cool that for Isarflux you don’t just work in your own job, but also get an insight into the work of the other trainees,” says an apprentice stage technician. And the trainees do learn a lot from each other, as everyone – from future industrial and office staff to electronics engineers for building services – is involved in the Isarflux. “It feels daunting every year,” the organisers agree. “But on the day, it’s always an amazing party!”

The bands think so too, with well-known past acts including Umme Block, Matija and lilly among clouds.

On 17 April 2022, the first Isarflux Easter Party took place at Gasteig HP8 in Sendling. With Rosa Blut, Kannheiser, lilly among clouds and Ströme, four promising young bands pulled out all the stops in Hall X and in the wonderfully lit Hall E.

In 2021, the Isarflux Festival took place despite the pandemic, albeit as a live stream, complete with incredible images from the roof of the Gasteig. Among the performers were Elena Rud, Tahpir, Matija and R3Max&Headbeats.