See Fantastic Events in Turkey

See Fantastic Events in Turkey

A list of the major fairs, festivals and cultural and artistic events organized in Turkey throughout the year. Turkey is a heaven of cultural events. Explore now!

Turkey hosts a spectacular array of music and cultural festivals, high adrenalin sports and exciting family entertainment.

Turkey is a major global cultural hub and is the most visited country.

Whether it’s winter or summer, Turkey features fantastic year round activities and events to attend. Celebrate the snow season by skiing in the Snowy Mountains and attending premier events, Festivals or featuring live concerts in the snowfield.

The North Coast boasts a relaxed seaside lifestyle and hosts a number of events every year celebrating local farming community and businesses. Renowned for its unspoiled natural environment, the South Coast region attracts a large number of visitors every year for a wide range of annual festivities celebrating good food, music and fun filled events.

With its vast agricultural lands, Country hosts a number of outdoor activities every year.

Whether you love the busy rush of the city or the tranquility out in the country, Turkey is the place to be.

EVENTS AND FESTIVALS IN TURKEY

Most popular music festivals, nightlife events, sport and outdoors events, cultural festivals, national and religious festivals, lifestyle events, wonderful Turkish festivals and more. Keep up to date on what is happening in Turkey.

• Music Festivals in Turkey
• Lifestyle Events in Turkey
• Sport Events in Turkey
• National Festivals in Turkey
• Religious Festivals in Turkey
• Culture and Art Festivals in Turkey
• Traditional Turkish Festivals in Turkey

More than 1000 festivals are held in Turkey every year. Along with festivals of local scale held in almost every city of the country, cultural events and other festivals of international reach are also organized in major metropolitan centers such as Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Antalya.

Religious Festivals in Turkey

Istanbul is the most important center of festivals. In the summer months, a number of music festivals are held in Istanbul. Many are organized by and associated with prominent names in Turkey’s private sector. The Pamukbank Dance Days brings world famous dance groups to Istanbul. The Efes Pilsen Blues Festival, which celebrated its 10th year in 2006, hosts well-known blues and jazz groups. The Akbank International Jazz Festival provides the opportunity of improvisation and jam sessions between Turkish musicians and jazz masters of the world. The Yapı Kredi Art Festival with its concerts ranging from rock and roll and pop music to classical music and jazz is actually a series of events around the year. Fuji Film World Music Days is yet another important music festival.

İzmir is notable for hosting the oldest festival activity in Turkey, within the frame of multi-theme İzmir International Fair held in the first days of September, and organized by İZFAŞ, a depending company of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. The musical and other cultural events that take place at the same time as the commercial fair had started out as an auxiliary activity to attract popular interest for the fair, but over the years the festival became a school by itself.

İstanbul Shopping Fest 2017

Major festivals

Turkish Festival Guide

• International Bodrum Dance Festival
• International Fethiye World Music Festival Turkey
• International Ankara Film Festival 16th
• International Ankara Music Festival
• Alanya International Culture and Art Festival 11 th
• Gümüşlük International Classical Music Festival Annual since 2004
• International Ankara Cartoon Festival
• Bilkent International Theater Meeting (Ankara)
• Bilkent International Anatolia Music Festival (Ankara)
• International Istanbul Film Festival 25th
• International Istanbul Theater Festival
• Istanbul International Music Festival
• Istanbul International Jazz Festival 12th
• International Istanbul Biennial
• Neon International Psychedelic Music & Art Festival Bursa – July
• Barışarock
• Rock’n Coke
• İzmir International Fair 73rd ; 1 September – 10 September
• İzmir European Jazz Festival
• İzmir Alacati International Child and Youth Theaters Festival
• İzmir Fair International Folk Dances Festival
• Cesme Sea Festivity and International Song Contest (İzmir)
• Nasreddin Hodja Festivities (Konya)
• Mevlana Memorial Celebrations (Konya)
• International Pamukkale Music and Culture Festival (Denizli)
• International Amateur Theaters Festival (Denizli)
• Traditional Manisa Mesir Festival
• Yunus Emre Culture and Art Week (Eskişehir)
• International Eskişehir Festival 11th
• International Bursa Festival
• Adıyaman International Commagene Festival
• Traditional Kırkpınar Oil-Wrestling Festivities(Edirne)
• International Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Memorial Celebrations (Nevşehir)
• International Atatürk Dam Water Sports Feast (Şanlıurfa)
• Mersin International Music Festival
• Şanlıurfa International Culture and Art Week
• Antalya Demre International Noel Baba (St. Nicholas) Memorial Celebrations
• Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival (Antalya)
• Turkish Choral Festival Annual – since 1996
• Alanya International Culture and Art Festival 3–5 October
• Robert College Fine Arts Festival (Istanbul) Organized annually since 1982
• Kadirga Festival Annual
• Edirne International Kakava Festival Annual on May 5
• Cappadocia Music Festival Annual on July

National Festivals in Turkey

Fairs, festivals and events

• Camel Wrestling Festival-Selcuk (near Ephesus) January
• Ankara International Film Festival March
• 1915 Sea Victory Celebration-Canakkale March
• Istanbul International Film Festival April
• Traditional “Mesir” Festival-Manisa April
• International Children’s Day-Ankara (April 23) April
• International Ankara Music Festival April
• Tourism Fair-Gaziantep April
• Tulip Festival-Istanbul April-May
• Javelin Games-Erzurum April-May
• Ankara International Arts Festival April-May
• International Nyssa Culture and Arts Festival-Sultanhisar, Aydin May
• Ephesus International Festival of Culture and Tourism-Selcuk May
• Yunus Emre Culture and Art Week-Eskisehir May
• Aksu Culture and Art Festival-Giresun May
• Ankara International Caricature Festival May
• International Music and Folklore Festival-Silifke May
• International Yachting Festival-Marmaris May
• International Kilim Festival, Usak-Esme May
• Kakava Festivities-Kirklareli May
• International Asia-Europe Biennial-Ankara May-June
• Formula One races – Istanbul June
• Bartin Strawberry Festival-Bartin June
• International Tea Festival-Rize June
• International Offshore Races Istanbul and Izmir June
• Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival – Antalya June
• Foca Music, Folklore and Water Sports Festival-near Izmir June
• Marmaris Festival-near Mugla June
• Bergama Festival-near Izmir June
• Atatürk Culture Festival-Amasya June
• Kafkasör Culture and Art Festival-Artvin June
• International Kus Cenneti (Birds Paradise) Culture and Tourism Festival-Bandirma June
• International Pamukkale Song Competition June
• International Kahta Komagene Festival June
• International Beach Volleyball Tournament – Alanya June
• Finike Festival – near Antalya June
• International Wine Competition-Ürgüp June
• Tekirdag Cherry Festival June
• International Carpet and Rose Festival-Isparta June
• Cesme Sea and Music Festival-Cesme June-July
• International Izmir Festival June-July
• International Bursa Festival June-July
• Istanbul International Art and Culture Festival June-July
• Traditional Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling-Edirne June-July
• International Music Festival-Istanbul June-July
• Ihlara Tourism and Art Week-Aksaray June-July
• International Erzurum Congress-Erzurum July
• Tourism and Culture Festival-Iskenderun July
• International Istanbul Jazz Festival July
• International Folk Dance Festival-Samsun July
• Ceramic Festival-Kütahya July
• Nasreddin Hoca Festival-Aksehir, near Konya July
• Hittite Festival-Corum July
• Manavgat Tourism Festival – near Antalya July
• Kusadasi Tourism Festival July
• Egridir Lake Festival – near Isparta July
• Nevsehir Festival July
• Devrek Baston (walking stick) and Culture Festival – Zonguldak July
• Avanos International Handicrafts and Pottery Exhibit – Nevsehir July
• Troy Festival-Canakkale August
• Insuyu Festival-Burdur August
• Haci Bektas Veli Commemoration Ceremony-Nevsehir August
• Mengen Chefs Festival-Bolu August
• Pine Grove Ayder Mt. and Archery Festivities – Rize August
• Izmir International Fair-Izmir September
• Ertugurul Gazi Commemoration Ceremony-Sogut September
• Seyh Edibali Commemoration and Culture Festival-Bilecik September
• GAP Culture and Art Festival-Gaziantep September
• Javelin Games-Konya September
• Kemer Carnival – near Antalya September
• International Meerschaum (Luletasi) Festival-Eskisehir September
• Safranbolu Architectural Treasures and Folklore Week-Safranbolu September
• Sivas Congress Culture and Art Week-Sivas September
• International Grape Harvest Festival-Ürgüp September
• International Fair-Mersin September
• Yagci Bedir Carpet Festival-Sindirgi, Balikesir September
• Culture and Art Festival-Diyarbakir September
• Assos International Art Festival September
• Adana Altin Koza (Golden Cocoon) Film Festival September
• Eskisehir International Festival Sept-October
• Golden Pistachio Festival-Gaziantep Sept-October
• International Plastic Arts Festival Sept-October
• International Akdeniz Song Contest-Mediterranean Sept-October
• Mersin Art and Culture Festival Sept-October
• Altin Portakal (Golden Orange) Film Festival-Antalya October
• Ahi Brotherhood Cultural Week October
• International Bodrum Sailing Cup October
• International Gullet Biennial-Bozburun (near Marmaris) October
• International Triathlon Competition – Alanya October
• International Ataturk Dam Sailing Competition-Sanliurfa October
• International Yacht Race-Marmaris November
• International St.Nicholas Syphosium-Demre, near Antalya December
• Mevlana Commemoration Ceremony-Konya December

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Upcoming events

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1. Business Events
2. Classes, lessons, workshops and talks
3. Community events
4. Concerts and performances
5. Exhibitions and shows
6. Festivals and celebrations
7. Food and wine
8. Markets
9. Sporting events

View all events in Turkey
View all events in Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir
See also our Events Calendar.