Sound Ports Festival, Istanbul – Tel Aviv, is a unique music event at its first edition. Having been taking place symultaneously in Tel Aviv and Istanbul, the festival aimed to create a bridge between the two cultural capitals of the Middle East. Tel Aviv and Istanbul, that for ages have influenced one another culturally and economically, were blended together again in these 4 days of music (and not only music: the festival features lectures, record fairs, exhibitions and culinary events). The festival was born on initiative of the Istanbul based musical entrepreneurs Ahmetcan Tasdemir and Serhan Lokman and the Tel Avivian Gil Karniel and Dan Basman.