Ilayda
I keep coming back to the same things: music, books, people, and the way certain moments stay longer than they should. Most of what I write starts there and then turns into something I understand a little better.
Articles by Ilayda
Inside Amazon Prime’s Surprisingly Divisive Off-Campus Adaptation
Off-Campus finally made it to the screen, and while Amazon Prime absolutely nailed the chemistry, casting, and chaos of the hockey house, some of the biggest emotional moments from the books were changed in ways that left longtime readers both obsessed and deeply frustrated.
Words: Ilayda / May 19th, 2026
The Weeknd Returns to Frankfurt for a Three-Night Stadium Run This Summer
After turning Frankfurt into one of the loudest stops of his 2023 tour, The Weeknd is set to return this summer with Playboi Carti in tow for a special three-night run at Deutsche Bank Park from July 30th to August 1st.
Words: Ilayda / May 16th, 2026
Southside Festival 2026: Lineup and What to Expect
Three days, over 80 acts, and a festival site that’s bigger than it looks on the map. Here’s what to know before heading to Southside 2026.
Words: Ilayda / May 1st, 2026
The Oscars 2026: Hollywood’s Most Unpredictable Night
From Michael B. Jordan’s long-awaited Best Actor win to baffling animated category decisions and a heartbreaking Rob & Michele Reiner tribute, the 2026 Oscars delivered from start to finish.
Words: Ilayda / March 16th, 2026
The Essential Valentine’s Romance Reads
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone who treats romance novels like a personality trait. Here are five books you shouldn’t go into without emotional backup.
Words: Ilayda / February 14th, 2026
Is It Ever Casual?
A chaotic field note from the era of delusional detachment, written for anyone who’s exhausted by the performance of being unbothered.
Words: Ilayda / January 27th, 2026
Oscar Nominations 2026: First Impressions
The nominations are out, and this year they feel less about surprises and more about what the Academy is very deliberately choosing to stand behind.
Words: Ilayda / January 26th, 2026
How to Hold a Grudge Gracefully
A chaotic little love letter to every girl who holds her grudges like heirlooms and refuses to “heal” just because the internet said so.
Words: Ilayda / December 7th, 2025
Between Curtains and Confessions: Tom Odell Live at SAP Arena
Here’s what happened when Tom Odell brought the Wonderful Life Tour to Mannheim.
Words: Ilayda / November 25th, 2025
The Autumn Reading Edit: Our Guide to the Season of Endings and Beginnings
Books in autumn are the ones that stay. They change you a little, weigh a little heavier, mean a little more. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that autumn will always be different. Something always ends, and something always begins, just never in the way you expect. So, for this year’s autumn, here’s a curated list of the perfect fall reads for 2025.
Words: Ilayda / October 31st, 2025
From the Crowd: Heroes Festival Freiburg 2025
They say music festivals bring people together. Whoever they are, they’ve clearly never stood in semi-wet socks watching Bonez MC scream into a fog machine with 15,000 other people. Heroes Freiburg 2025 didn’t try to be something it wasn't. It gave us rain, sun, muddy shoes, and maybe a mild case of exhaustion. And yet? It might’ve been the most honest weekend of the summer. Let’s break it down.
Words: Ilayda / September 9th, 2025
Heroes Festival 2025: The Rap Weekend in Freiburg
On the first weekend of September, Freiburg turns into rap city. On September 5 and 6, Heroes Festival takes over the Messegelände again.
Words: Ilayda / August 29th, 2025
Szene Open Air 2025: A Tale in Contrasts
The Szene Open Air Festival has been an integral part of the festival scene in Austria, bringing music, culture, and good energy to Lustenau in Vorarlberg. Located alongside the Alte Rhein, this three-day festival is a passion project organized by the Kultur- und Jugendverein Szene Lustenau and run sustainably by hundreds of young volunteers. These three days offer a diverse program of live music, featuring international headliners, as well as a selection of smaller, local artists.
Words: Ilayda / August 6th, 2025
Summer Romance Reads: Your Must-Read Beach Reads for 2025
Hi romance readers, With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time to stack your TBR with stories that feel like sun on your skin and staying out a little too late. Whether you’re heading to the beach, staying at home, or just trying to escape the heat, these picks have you covered! Think slow burns, second chances, small-town drama, and just the right amount of tension. Grab a cold drink, find a spot to relax, and dive in.
Words: Ilayda / July 31st, 2025
Das Fest 2025 - Sun, Rain, Call Me Maybe
On Saturday and Sunday, we had the chance to visit Das Fest in Karlsruhe, which took place from Thursday, July 24th until Sunday, July 27th, with a broad and mixed lineup featuring artists like 01099, Amy Macdonald, Clueso, Großstadtgeflüster, Max Giesinger & Friends, and many more.
Words: Ilayda / July 30th, 2025
Zach Bryan celebrates two sun soaked headliner nights at BST Hyde Park
Zach Bryan’s second headliner night at BST Hyde Park was a triumphant, sun-soaked celebration, hitting 30º and drawing 65,000 fans in for an electrifying singalong.
Words: Ilayda / July 18th, 2025
Kessel Festival 2025: This Is What Saturday Looked Like
Every year, the Kessel Festival doesn't miss, and this time was most definitely no exception. On July 4th and 5th, Stuttgart’s Cannstatter Wasen hosted two days filled with performances and a lineup that was not to be ignored. We unfortunately only made it for Saturday, which was more than enough to show why this festival keeps pulling in the people. With artists like Ski Aggu, Paula Hartmann, Deichkind, Ennio, Esther Graf, Kontra K, and more, the festival was packed with variety and a few surprises along the way.
Words: Ilayda / July 8th, 2025
Air Heavy, Heart Full: Paula Hartmann Live
On Saturday, Paula Hartmann played an open-air show at the Citadelle in Mainz. It was hot. Like people-passing-out-in-the-crowd hot. And somehow, still, it ended up being one of the most emotionally precise, beautifully chaotic, and flat-out impressive concerts I’ve seen in a long time.
Words: Ilayda / July 1st, 2025
"Ich mach das bis ich Oma bin": A Conversation with Ella Stern
Ella Stern doesn’t believe in kitsch origin stories. There was no lightning-bolt moment, where she decided she wanted to make music, only a childhood full of English pop songs, too much Hannah Montana, and the stubborn realization that she’d be making music until she’s a grandma. Now, the German indie artist is carving her own path with raw, sugar-coated anthems about a lot of love, a little bit of rage, and most importantly the chaos of being twenty-something.
Words: Ilayda / May 26th, 2025
A Guide to Sensitive-Girl Catastrophes: An Interview with Egee
Let’s be real; most interviews with musicians start the same way: "So, how would you describe your sound?" Cue an awkward genre mash-up like: "Jazz meets punk meets existential dread.”. But when Egee answers, she just laughs and calls it "catastrophe music for sensitive girls." And suddenly, it all makes sense.
Words: Ilayda / May 9th, 2025
Get Ready, Hamburg: Franz Ferdinand Returns with Sea Girls in Tow
After their successful tour run, crossing Europe, Canada, and the US, Franz Ferdinand will have a stop as part of their 2025 Summer Shows in Hamburg and play at the Stadtpark Open Air on May 30th, with support from the English indie rock band Sea Girls. You won't want to miss this!
Words: Ilayda / May 9th, 2025
Paula Hartmann's Openair Summer - kleine Feuer 2025
After two albums that redefined what German pop can sound like, Paula Hartmann is stepping out into the open. With her Kleine Feuer Open Airs tour, she brings her distinct voice to the stages of summer 2025.
Words: Ilayda / May 4th, 2025
Where Beats Meet Belonging: Highlights from c/o pop 2025
In the last week of April 2025, the c/o pop Festival once again transformed Cologne into a place where music, art, and culture bring people of all ages together in a lively atmosphere. Since 2004, the urban festival has been offering a diverse program of indie, hip hop, and electronic music once a year in Cologne-Ehrenfeld. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI), as well as the promotion of “FLINTA”, queer artists and other underrepresented groups stand at the core of the festival’s philosophy.
Words: Ilayda / April 29th, 2025
No Introduction Needed: Central Cee Owned Munich
Last Friday, Central Cee delivered an unforgettable night in Munich, and it was an immersive experience from start to finish, to say the least. What I really loved after entering the venue was that the front-of-stage area wasn’t locked behind VIP or meet-and-greet tickets. If you were fast enough with a general admission ticket, you could get right up front.
Words: Ilayda / April 14th, 2025
Sydney Rose’s I Know What I Want: An EP That Feels Like a Mirror
There’s something uniquely intimate about discovering an artist before the world catches on, when their music exists as a secret between you and your headphones. For a while, Sydney Rose was that for me. Her songs lived under my bed as my box full of memories does, fragile and personal, mine to cherish. But with the release of her EP, I Know What I Want, that quiet intimacy has bloomed into something shared, and I couldn’t be happier. Sydney deserves every bit of the recognition she gets.
Words: Ilayda / April 5th, 2025
Zartmann Takes Over Heidelberg For The Very First Time
Zartmann hit Heidelberg for the first time ever and delivered an unforgettable night filled with amazing energy, emotional performances, and fresh new songs. Here’s why this concert was one of the highlights of the year so far and why you definitely need tickets for his next tour!
Words: Ilayda / March 22nd, 2025
The Wait is Over: Suzanne Collins Drops Sunrise on the Reaping
Major drop alert! Hunger Games fans, grab your Mockingjay pins and brace yourselves. Sunrise on the Reaping is finally here, and it’s about to take us on a wild ride back to Panem. Suzanne Collins is back with a deep dive into one of the most iconic moments in the history of Hunger Games; Haymitch Abernathy’s legendary victory in the Second Quarter Quell. And let’s be real, if you’ve ever wondered how the sarcastic, whiskey-loving mentor from District 12 became the cunning victor we know and love, this is the book you’ve been waiting for.
Words: Ilayda / March 18th, 2025
Central Cee’s “Can’t Rush Greatness” World Tour: Global Takeover Starts in April!
Alright, let’s get one thing straight: Central Cee is about to take over the world, and his "Can’t Rush Greatness" Tour is the main event. If you’ve been waiting for the chance to see Cench live, this is it. The tour kicks off in April 2025, and trust me, you do not want to miss this.
Words: Ilayda / March 4th, 2025
The Oscars 2025: The Winners, The Losers, and Everything In Between
The 97th Academy Awards went down last night, and once again, the nominations and results have left us all in a spiral of confusion, rage, and the occasional "Well, at least they got that one right." But let's get real: what is going on with the Oscars this year? Emilia Pérez racking up 13 nominations like it's the second coming of Titanic? Challengers getting completely ignored? No nomination for Denis Villeneuve as Best Director for Dune: Part Two? Make it make sense!
Words: Ilayda / March 3rd, 2025
Booked for Romance: Valentine's Day Picks for 2025
Get ready to be swept off your feet this Valentine's Day with our curated list of must-read romance novels for 2025. From the thrilling heartbeats of dark romances to the sweet serenades of small-town romances, we've handpicked books that promise to melt your heart and stir your soul. Dive into our exclusive guide and discover your next great love story just in time for the season of love.
Words: Ilayda / February 12th, 2025
Rausgegangen Revealed: A Secret Concert Worth the Wait
On January 27th, a secret concert took place in Heidelberg, organized by the Rausgegangen initiative. The whole concept is pretty exciting: you buy a ticket without knowing who’s performing.
Words: Ilayda / January 30th, 2025
I Am Every Age I Have Ever Been
Sometimes, we are childish. Sometimes, we do something our 16-year-old self would have done and cry like our 7-year-old self would have cried. Why is this so embarrassing? When you're 20, 30, or 40, are you not also every age you've ever been?
Words: Ilayda / January 8th, 2025
From Resentment to Appreciation: How Being a Diaspora Child Shaped My Musical Identity
Many children of immigrants go through a similar journey, where the music of their heritage becomes more meaningful as they age. There’s something universally relatable about this experience, isn’t there? As children, we often push away the things that make us feel different because we want to fit in. But as we grow older, we start to appreciate the distinctiveness that comes with our backgrounds. We begin to see the value in where we come from or where our parents came from, and for many of us, music is one of the most powerful ways to reconnect. Today, I see music as a link. It’s a way to navigate the complexities of my identity as a diaspora child. When I hear Turkish music, it reminds me of home. Not just my physical home but the home my grandparents carried with them when they left everything behind and moved to a new country to give their children a better chance at life. It’s a way to stay connected to them.
Words: Ilayda / November 24th, 2024
Barbie for President
It’s the Monday before November 5th, the eve of the U.S. elections. This little video slides across my For You page: a Barbie. But not just any Barbie. A 2004 President Barbie, created as part of the White House Project, a campaign meant to inspire young girls, to make them see that they could be leaders, changemakers, future presidents. To remind them that the future of the country could be theirs to shape. That they could belong in every room where decisions are made.
Words: Ilayda / November 7th, 2024
Behind the Barricades: Experiencing the Heroes Festival Freiburg Like a Fan, Not Like a Journalist.
01099, Trettmann, Shirin David and more... I was a little late for a review pass for the Heroes Festival this year, but anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with this small German indie band called 01099. So, when I heard that the Heroes Festival was returning to Freiburg for the third time in as many years, with 01099 as one of the headliners, I knew exactly where I'd be: Right behind the barricade.
Words: Ilayda / October 19th, 2024
Photos by Ilayda
