NOVEMBER EVENTS lineup of interest to expats
From comedy to music to food, there are a number of exciting events coming up this month for expats in Istanbul
Oct. 31 – spOKen wOrd every tuesday
Spoken Word Istanbul, an open mic event where anyone and everyone is given the opportunity to take the stage for 6 minutes, may be one of the best opportunities to be introduced to the city's colorful expat crowd.
This weekly event is held every Tuesdays from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Arsen Lüpen on Mis Street in Taksim.
Seats are in high-demand, so make sure to arrive before 8:15 p.m. and sign up for a chance to make it on the performers’ list.
nOv. 2 – engLish stand-up shOw at Kaset KadiKöy
The “Take Me up the Bosphorus” comedy crew hosts English-language stand-up shows and open mic nights. They will be opening the season with special guest Ollie Horn on Thursday, Nov. 2.
Horn, a British comedian is a very popular standup performer in Japan and is the founder of Comedy Japan, the country’s first fully bilingual comedy troupe and hosted Japan’s first international comedy festival in Fukuoka.
The season opener will take place at Kaset Kadıköy, a relaxed performance venue where you can lounge while enjoying a wide variety of music, comedy, theater and even magic performances pretty much every night of the week.
Sign up for the open mic that begins at 8:30 p.m,. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Entrance to the event free of charge.
nOv. 3 – day Of the dead fiesta and fundraiser
This Thursday, Nov. 2 Mexico celebrates Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, in memory of family members, friends and loved ones who have passed away.
Two events will be held in Istanbul on the eve of the Day of the Dead. The first is a fundraiser event at #bunk, a popular venue for expats and travelers, on Friday, Nov. 3. It will remember the victims of the tragic 7.1 magnitude earthquake that took place in Puebla on Sept. 19.
The venue, located in Harbiye, serves delicious food and has a large rooftop terrace offering some stunning views of the city. Entrance to the fundraiser is TL 35 ($9.28) and there will be Mexican food and Latin music. The program begins at 9 p.m.
The other event will be on Thursday at one of Istanbul’s most popular Mexican restaurants, Los Altos. This venue also happens to offer a spectacular view from its location in the TomTom neighborhood of İstiklal.
There will be a special menu, live music and a makeup artist on hand to have your face painted in traditional colors to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
nOv. 3 – KOLeKtif istanbuL at dasdas MüziK
Kolektif Istanbul is one of the most popular bands to come out of Istanbul. Founded by French expat saxophonist Richard Laniepce in 2006, the group also features Laniepce’s wife, Aslı Doğan on vocals, Batuhan Baraç on drums, Ertan Şahin on sousaphone and brothers Tamer and Talat Karaoğlu on accordion and clarinet.
They mostly play what they refer to as a jazz- and funk-infused “progressive wedding music.” The group has traveled around the globe with their music and have released four albums to date.
At their live performances, you are guaranteed to get groovy, and they are always a joyous musical and dancing experience.
Kolektif Istanbul will be on stage this Friday, Nov. 3 at DasDas Müzik, a new performance venue located in the impressive Watergarden Shopping Center in Ataşehir.
The venue hosts a wide variety of workshops, theatrical performances and concerts by top musical outfits in Turkey and beyond. The lineup this month includes none other than Büyük Ev Ablukada, Jabbar, and Baba Zula.
The show starts at 10:30 p.m. and tickets start at TL 39 on the DasDas website.
nOv. 6 – cOuntry fOr syria at frida café
Country for Syria is an Istanbul-based multicultural band that features an American on accordion and a Syrian on guitar.
They blend traditional Middle Eastern music with American country music and donate a part of their proceeds to aid Syrian refugees and those affected by conflicts around the world.
They will be performing a free show every Friday at Cafe Frida, located on Bekar Street in Taksim. The show begins at 10 p.m.
nOv. 11 – pOp-up dinners istanbuL thanKsgiving event
Run by a Singapore-born former restaurateur, Kay, who moved to Turkey some 25 years ago, Pop-Up Dinners Istanbul is very popular among the cities expats.
Kay opens up her home in Cihangir to a select number of expat-heavy guests who get to experience her delicious and unique cuisine.
On Saturday, Nov. 11, she will be hosting another meal with “The Dutch Indonesia Rice Table,” as the theme.
Then, on Saturday, Nov. 25, she will be hosting “An Homage to the Pumpkin,” a special dinner around Thanksgiving.
There will be pumpkin risotto, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie as well as the obligatory turkey spread.
Check out the Pop-Up Dinners Facebook page for more info and reserve your spot.
nOv. 16 – MOnaLity at Mentha KaraKöy
Monality is the latest musical venture by Allen Hulsey, an expat from New York, who has been regularly performing in the city’s rock and blues for years.
Monality is his live electro-acoustic collaboration with Erdem Tunalı, a deviation into deep house and ethnic electronic music.
The duo will perform Thursday, Nov. 16 at Mentha Karaköy from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
nOv. 26 – thaiLand’s MarKet at MövenpicK
On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Thai Women in Turkey will be hosting a “Thailand Market” at Mövenpick Hotel in Levent.
There will be homemade Thai foods, beverages, and stalls selling Thai products.
Entrance is free and the event takes place between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.