The cosmopolitan city of Istanbul is named 2010 European Capital of Culture and named as the best place to be in 2010.

A tally of major concerts are coming to Istanbul in 2010. If early trends are any indication, 2010 may be the best year for major concerts and events in Istanbul yet.

So if you’re going to Istanbul in 2010, these are the dates to put in your agenda now.

Top Istanbul Events in 2010

• Istanbul International Film Festival
  This year, through April 18, The eagerly awaited 29th International Istanbul Film Festival will host more than 200 films in 23 categories.
• David Helfgott April 6 – 8
  One of the most important pianists of the world adopted the life of Oscar-winning movie Shine, David Helfgott is coming to Istanbul to play the piano concerto on 6 and 8 April.
• David Guetta April 10
  The world-wide respected DJ David Guetta will play for all dance music lovers in Istanbul on April 10 Saturday night organized by UNILIFE.
• Grandmaster Flash April 10
  One of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing. Grandmaster Flash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, becoming the first hip hop/rap artist to be so honored. A legend will perform on April 10 at GHETTO.
• WWE – Smackdown! April 18
  Sunday April 18, 2010 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with the most famous wrestlers from the team in Turkey!
• Istanbul hip hop festival April 25
  The first Istanbul hip hop festival will be held this year in Istanbul with the 2010 Hip Hop Festival for Turkey’s Hip Hop culture on Sunday April 25.
• SEPULTURA April 27
  Brazilian heavy metal band SEPULTURA will be in Istanbul on April 27th, 2010 for only one concert as part of their 25th World Tour.
• Istanbul International Puppet Festival May 4 – 16
  The annual International Istanbul Puppet Festival hosts many famous national and international puppeteers from as far as Taiwan and Brazil and will run from May 4 to 16.
• Istanbul International Theater Festival May 10
  The 17th International Istanbul Theater Festival is set to begin on May 10. Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, or İKSV, the festival will continue through June 10.
• Dany Brilliant May 10
  France’s most famous pop singer Dany Brillant, will give a concert in Istanbul on May 10.
• Harry Connick Jr. May 18
  Famous singer, pianist, song-writer, and actor Harry Connick Jr., will meet his fans in İstanbul for the first time on Tuesday night May 18 at 20.30 at İstanbul Congress Centre in Harbiye.
• Nouvelle Vague May 18
  Enjoy Punk and New Wave songs in an entirely new form, Nouvelle Vague, Bossa Nova, jazz and ’60s pop of the audience is invited to an amazing and surprising journey through time at Babylon on May 18.
• Akon May 21
  Akon has had 6 Grammy Awards nominations and has produced many hits for artists such as Lady Gaga, Colby O’Donis and Leona Lewis. AKON will meet with his Turkish fans on 21 May.
• Chill-Out Festival 23 May
  Chill-Out Festival will be held at Kemer Golf & Country Club with a wide musical spectrum such as, jazz trip-hop, Latin. 12 hours of continuous music with Caravan Palace Orchestra, Bonobo, Tunng, Alex Cuba Band, Club des Belugas, & Mishkin Palov and Lucky Elephant will present at the scene.
• 2010 Formula 1 Turkey Grand Prix May 28-29-30
  Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most unique cities on the Formula One calendar this year on 30 May 2010
• Bob Dylan May 31
  Bob Dylan is the greatest composers of modern times and is coming to Istanbul again after 21 years, to give a special concert on May 31, 2010.
• Eric Clapton June 13
  Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood will perform on June 13 at Santral Istanbul, a venue on the Golden Horn campus of Bilgi University.
• Jean Michel Jarre
  Multifaceted artist Jean Michel Jarre is coming to Istanbul with his 2010 Tour on June 15 at Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena.
• Sonisphere Istanbul June 25-27
  Sonisphere Istanbul features the greatest rock bands in the world will be held June 25-27 at the İnönü Stadium in Dolmabahçe.
• Metallica June 25
  Metallica will perform in Istanbul at Sonisphere Istanbul June 25-27
• Rammstein June 26
  Rammstein will perform in Istanbul at Sonisphere Istanbul June 25-27
• Megadeth June 26
  Megadeth will perform in Istanbul at Sonisphere Istanbul June 25-27
• Rihanna June 3
  Rihanna is coming to Istanbul for the first time, to perform with her Last Girl on Earth Tour on June 3.
• Lady GaGa June 15
  Lady GaGa is coming to Istanbul this year to perform on June 15th at Kurucesme Arena in Istanbul.
• Unirock July 2
  Hosted bands like TESTAMENT, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, DARK TRANQUILLITY, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH, Unirock Open Air Festival once again welcomes trash and metal bands in Istanbul on July 2.
• Massive Attack July 13
  Legendary creator of trip-hop group Massive Attack is coming back with a great performance on July 13 2010.
• Armin van Buuren July 16
  Armin van Buuren No. 1 DJ in the world will perform in Istanbul on July 16.
• Faithless July 17
  Faithless Istanbul concert will be held on July 17 experience a great live performance. Faithless known for their hits “Why Go,” “Insomnia,” “God Is A DJ” and “We Come 1″, spend four years long on a new album “The Dance” and will meet with their Turkish fans in Istanbul on July 17.
• Eros Ramazzotti July 17
  Ramazotti released his new album Alien Radi pressure” In 2009 and will perform in Istanbul on July 7 as part of his tour.
• Efes Pilsen One Love Festival 9 July 19 – 20
  De La Soul, The Whitest Boy Alive and Wild Beasts will perform at Efes Pilsen One Love Festival on.
• The Cranberries July 22
  The Cranberries became one of the more successful groups to emerge from the pre-Britpop U.K. indie scene of the early ’90s. Led by vocalist Dolores O’Riordan they will give a concert on July 22 in Istanbul.
• U2 360 Tour Istanbul September 6
  U2 360 Tour Istanbul will be held this summer at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on Sept. 6.
• Ozzy Osbourne September 30
  Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne will come to Istanbul this year, among the names. World’s most radical heavy metal and rock group. Ozzy Osbourne will perform in Istanbul on September 30 at BKM Kurucesme Arena.
• Chris Botti 08 October 2010
  Chris Botti in Istanbul.
• Body Worlds 12 October 2010
  Body Worlds Istanbul.
• Discover Manga! 12 October 2010
  Discover Manga! Istanbul.
• Efes Pilsen Blues Festival 16 October 2010
  Efes Pilsen Blues Festival Istanbul.
• UB40 22 October 2010
  UB40 in Istanbul.
• Herbie Hancock 26 October 2010
  Herbie Hancock in Istanbul.
• Kenny Baron 30 October 2010
  Kenny Baron in Istanbul.
• Belinda Carlisle 06 November 2010
  Belinda Carlisle in Istanbul.
• Terence Blanchard 9 and10 November 2010
  Terence Blanchard in Istanbul.
• WWE – Smackdown! 14 November 2010
  WWE – Smackdown! Istanbul.
• ABBA the Show 13 December 2010
  ABBA the Show in Istanbul.
• Vanessa Paradis 07 February 2011
  Vanessa Paradis in Istanbul.

Leave a comment below if you know any other top events in Istanbul for 2010.

The lineup for 2008 is even more amazing then last year.

Continue reading if you want to know more about the concerts and events that took place last year.

2007 season was fantastic! If you would like to know or rh3h3ber some of the events then check out the list below.

Every year they are getting bigger and better in Istanbul. This is the lineups for 2007 so check out the top 10 and leave a comment below for your review of any of the concerts.

1. Beastie Boys – Efes One Love Festival

   June 17 Sunday / 21:00

   Efes One Love Festival is the first festival in the summertime. The open air music festival taking place at Parkorman which will last for 3 days. You will meet musical phenomenon’s, like world-renowned Beastie Boys, Brooklyn Funk Essentials Senlendirici, Nekropsi, cirKus featuring Neneh Cherry and Beastie Boys.
   For more information on the festival check www.biletix.com

2. Daft Punk

   June 23 / 20:00

   Daft Punk is the collective name of Parisian musicians, Guy-Manuel de Homh3-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. The duo have released three albums, thirteen singles and consider thh3selves one of the most successful electronic robot collaborations of all time, both in album sales and in critical acclaim.

   Daft Punk will preform With Digitalism at Turkcell Kurucesme Arena.

   For more info visit www.futuregeneration.net/

3. Marilyn Manson – Radar Live 2007

   Jun 29 – Jul 2

   The concert is at Kilyos Solar Beach. Istanbul Turkey. You will be able to watch nearly 100 performances in three different stages.

   The festival will be screened live from MTV Turkey, the official broadcaster of the festival for the first time.

   The line up: Marilyn Manson, James, The Rapture, Juliette and The Licks, Cocorosie, Beirut and Nouvelle Vague, and many more.

   For more information on the festival check http://www.radarlive.com/

4. Gloria Gaynor

   June 30

   Gloria Gaynor will make music lovers live a mh3orable night at Istanbul Parkorman with her world-famous hit songs like “I Will Survive”, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and “Never Can Say Goodbye”. She was born in Newark, New Jersey.

   gloria gaynor & special guest superstar ajda pekkan will perform at Parkorman Istanbul.

   For more information check http://www.biletix.com

5. Bueno Vista Social Club

   July 03

   One of the mh3bers of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez, was born in Havana in 1933.

   Both his parents were musicians leading the way of Cuban music starting from 1930s. “Cachaito”‘s family got into the records as the creators of mambo.

   Cachaito met counterbass at his early ages and composed his first song at the age of 13. In time he developed his own style and became one of the most important virtuosos of Cuba.

   He started to work with Omara Portuondo another mh3ber of the Buena Vista Social Club in 1960s and continued upto this day.

   He released his first solo album in 2001 and will perform in Parkorman on July 3, as a part of his world tour.

   Location: Parkorman

   For more information check http://www.parkorman.com.tr

6. Live Earth Istanbul

   July 07

   Istanbul, the City With Seven Hills, Will Be Part of the 24-Hour, 7-Continent Concert Series to Combat Global Warming Expected to Reach Over 2 Billion People on 7/7/07. Istanbul joins London, New York, Sydney, Shanghai, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro and Hamburg as official Live Earth host cities.

   The artist line-up for Live Earth Istanbul will be announced at a later date.

   Tickets for Live Earth Istanbul Go On Sale Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at 5 p.m. EEST

   For more information on the festival check http://liveearth.msn.com/about/turkey

7. Norah Jones – Istanbul Jazz Festival

   July 03

   Don’t miss Norah Jones, Robert Plant, Bryan Ferry, Michael Bolton, Wynton Marsalis and Robin Gibb playing at the 14th International Istanbul Jazz Festival between July 3rd until 18th.

   The 14th International Istanbul Jazz Festival will take place between July, 3-18. With almost 40 concerts at various venues, the Festival h3braces both jazz and other styles like pop, classic & alternative rock, world music, Latin and more.

   Glowing with a programme of stars to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, the Festival will be hosting renowned artists and groups.

   For more information on the festival check http://www.iksv.org/caz/english/

8. Shakira

   Jul 9th

   Shakira will show Istanbul how to belly dance at her Oral Fixation Tour in Istanbul. If you’re a Shakira fan, then this is the concert event you’ve been waiting for. The global superstar will be belly dancing in Istanbul Turkey on July 9th 2007 as part of her Oral Fixation (or Fijacion Oral) Tour. Shakira’s Oral Fixation tour will officially end on June 9 with a concert in Istanbul, Turkey.
   Location: Kurucesme Arena, 9:00pm Istanbul Turkey

   For more information on the concert visit http://www.biletix.com/

9. Avril Lavigne – Masstival

   July 14

   Organized for the first time in Turkey, Masstival has the slogan of “Festival for masses” In the list of the line-up declared up to now, there are musicians like Lauryn Hill, Tori Amos, Avril Lavigne, Sinead O’Connor, Cake, Riverside.

   Location: Parkorman

   For more information on the festival visit www.masstival.com

10. Smashing Pumpkins – Rock and Coke

    Sep 01

    Scheduled to take place on the 1st and 2nd of Septh3ber at Hezarfen Airfield, the countdown to the 5th Rock and Coke festival has begun! Turkey’s biggest open-air festival will once again play host to some of the biggest acts in music today. This year, the festival will host The Smashing Pumpkins, Manic Street Preachers, Franz Ferdinard and many more famous bands and DJ’s.
    For more information on the festival, keep checking www.biletix.com and www.rockncoke.com

If you attend to any of these events, you can write review in the comments.