It’s a Saturday morning shortly before 10 am, and the sun is already sending its first rays through the Olympic Park. The atmosphere in front of the entrance is exuberant, excited, and cheerful. It’s that time of year again: time for Superbloom, the festival that transforms the Bavarian capital into a late summer oasis for music, art, and culture. And so Superbloom kicked off its third round on September 7th 2024, with around 50,000 visitors from Germany and all over the world.
Overall, the first day of the festival was as colourful and exciting as the venue itself. Superbloom has the potential to become the perfect festival if it manages to eliminate a few teething troubles. For instance, there were delays and extensive queues at the entrance, particularly at the beginning, which caused discontent among some festival-goers. Considering the extremely high temperatures, more water dispensers would also be ideal to guarantee a sufficient supply and minimise queues. On the other hand, the organisation regarding signposting and orientation on the festival site was commendable. To navigate among the various venues and the crowded schedule, not only was there an app, but also signs that indicated the actual amount of time from the respective location to the stage. This meant you couldn’t get lost on the site and could easily move between the stages. At a festival of this size, collisions between the individual acts are unavoidable. As a result, there were several acts playing simultaneously throughout the day, but towards the end of the day, the main focus was on the Olympic Stadium. Here, there was the efficient installation of two large main stages next to each other, which were played alternately. This not only saved visitors from having to walk long distances but also provided the artists and their crew with sufficient preparation time and correspondingly short breaks between acts. The presence of lockers, which could be rented to safely store any valuables, was also convenient.
The line-up on the initial day promised a diverse array of international stars and emerging artists, spanning from hip-hop to pop to electro. The diverse programme was rounded off with acrobatic performances, dance and aerobics workshops, fashion displays and discussion panels.
German queer icon Cloudy June provided a successful opening for all early birds on the NeoNeo Stage. In her likeable and cheerful manner, the talented artist managed to captivate the initially somewhat reserved and sleepy audience, creating a great atmosphere right from the start of the morning. A particular highlight of the set was the announcement of her debut album and the premiere of several new songs, which have great catchy tune potential.
In the midday heat, the first highlight of the day followed with a spectacular performance on the Olympic Stage by Tokio Hotel. The German band centred around the Kaulitz twins performed a varied set of old and new songs, packed with special effects, while Bill’s various extravagant outfits were competing with the midday sun. The atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium was quite pleasant — especially considering the time of day — but still had room for improvement. However, by the time the first cords of the band’s breakthrough hit ‘Durch den Monsun’ rang out, even the last visitor had put their vocal cords to good use. Hence, the stadium became a choir, which provided the first nostalgia-fuelled goosebump moment of the day.
The live podcast ‘Mord auf Ex,’ which took place on the idyllic NeoNeo Stage surrounded by trees, was the ideal spot to take a break and eat. Fans of true crime could not only enjoy riveting crime stories but also actively contribute to resolving the mysteries and join in the guessing. Additionally, there was an opportunity for a lunchtime snack. Superbloom has a very diverse and varied food on offer — from vegan Asian street food and delicious burgers to sweet treats such as crêpes or popcorn, there is everything one’s heart desires — as long as you bring the necessary loose change. Even by the standards of Munich, the prices for food and beverages were quite high. Especially at peak times, one had to wait quite a while at popular stands. However, payment at most (!) places was uncomplicated and cashless, which was a great advantage.
Freshly recharged, the day continued with Provinz. The set, infused with a touch of melancholy and homeliness but also exuberance, brought even the last of us out of our midday slump and gave us another feeling of summery lightness in the first days of September. Next up was Loyle Carner’s performance. Overall, he spread a good mood and delivered a solid show, but didn’t manage to stay in our heads for too long. The following performance of RIN was not entirely convincing. This may have been mainly because the acoustics in the Olympic Stadium could be improved. During his set, this was particularly noticeable, and somehow the atmosphere didn’t really want to get going.
The events continued in a particularly intimate and atmospheric manner at the exclusive location ‘The Hideaway‘ with Victoria Canal. A small haven of peace compared to the large main venues in the stadium is offered by the one-man stage, situated on wooden platforms in the midst of the lake. With her soulful, beautiful voice and reflective, motivating lyrics and messages, the singer-songwriter enchanted the crowd in the special setting. Therefore, the exceptional talent created unique moments at this festival.
For many, one of the highlights of the first day was Niall Horan’s performance on the Super Stage. The incredibly likeable and talented musician offered a diverse set of old and new songs, including one of THE anthems from the One Direction era. The diverse performance ranged from soulful ballads to joyous sounds, causing the atmosphere inside the stadium to be bright and cheerful. Whether in the stands or on the floor — people were dancing and singing along everywhere. In passing, the Irishman announced that he would be working on a fourth album in the future, which naturally caused a flood of euphoria in the audience.
The big name in German rap heaven CRO followed with similar vibrancy. The musician known for his (now rather spacey) panda mask radiated great energy. His set was simply incredibly fun and offered one catchy hit after another. The stage design was diverse and exciting. He interacted well with the audience and thrilled the masses. All in all, a successful performance.
However, the surprise of the day for many was Sam Smith’s performance. Expectations of the world-class musician were naturally very high. The set, consisting of Sam’s outstanding voice, first-class dancers, great visuals and spectacular outfits, exceeded even the high expectations by far and left the audience breathless over and over, creating one WTF moment (in the best sense) after another. Performing everything, from emotional ballads that transformed the stadium into a sea of lights to dance anthems, Sam Smith once again made it clear why they deserved to be one of the festival’s headliners and won over even more fans along the way.
The grand finale was delivered by EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers with a performance full of special effects that transformed the Olympic Stadium into Munich’s biggest dance floor. With a good balance of classics from the last decade through to the latest hits, the duo left the crowds in complete ecstasy until late in the evening. Even with not every beat drop being completely convincing, the atmospheric performance full of pyrotechnics accompanied by live vocals from Drew was a successful conclusion to the first day of the festival with still some room for improvement creating great anticipation for the rest of the weekend.
Written by: Vanessa Svejkovsky
Photographed by: Nora Jarach
Edited by: Marieke Weeda
