Turkey, the country of Sultans, has fascinating events happening all around the year. There is a huge range of cultural, religious, music, sports, and nightlife events. These festivals are not only celebrated at a local level as tourists from all over the world participate. As a result, Turkey is growing day by day. These festivities are capturing the interest of the international media and they are becoming the reason for the economic growth of Turkey. These events are generally held in major cities including Antalya, Ankara, and İzmir.
Turkey has something for everyone to take part in. Here is our take on Festivals in Turkey which will help you out in knowing what it is all about, its location, and its offerings.
Istanbul Coffee Festival
Istanbul, the coffee capital of Turkey, has this amazing coffee festival every year that people look forward to. It’s celebrated in Küçükçiftlik Park, a venue that can host up to 17,000 people at a time. This festival is heaven for coffee lovers. It’s the celebration of a variety of coffee flavors. Many tourists from around the globe come to Turkey to enjoy this particular Istanbul Coffee Festival (ICF).
You will find coffee presentations by locals, international roasters, and baristas. Their unique degustation presentations are picture-perfect for coffee lovers. Professionals will teach you how to brew coffee expertly. You can learn and practice with them if you wish to. They also offer free coffee tasting, so there is no limit to how much you can taste.
The best part about this festival is shopping. You can shop till you drop. Get your hands on your favorite coffee brands. Get exclusive offers, buy at many low rates, and get lifetime offers. Many pop-up stores are offering a variety of coffee beans imported from different corners of the world.
When you get tired of roaming to different stalls, just get comfy in the lounge. There is a big sitting area having comfortable pillows where you can relax for a while. If you want, have some fresh juices, beverages, and treat yourself to brownies or traditional Baklava sweets. The Istanbul Coffee festival does not end here. Enjoy the night following performances by DJs, musicians, and other famous singers.
Date: Sep 19-22
Location: Istanbul
Uludağ Festival
Uludag festival is a festival for music lovers. How mesmerizing is the view on a cold day and you are enjoying the sound of music with thousands of people? It is just not possible to explain this in words. One has to witness this event to know its worth. This festival lasts for 4 nights and 5 days. This is Turkey’s unique winter fest with a focus on music. More than 30 artists and reclaimed DJs are there to make your day with stunning performances!
It’s not only about music as you can participate in games such as the Lucky Draw. You can try your luck and win vouchers and hampers. Heavy snow on the mountains, with a sip of coffee and grooving on the beat, what else one can dream of in this festival?
It’s always advisable to get a ticket in advance. We don’t want you to return with a heavy heart!
Date: Dec 6-8
Location: Bursa
Adana Festival
Adana Festival is all for the meat lovers. Adana is famous for Kebabs and other minced meat dishes. This festival is a big platform for culinary competitors. Every year, a theme is provided. Both local and international chefs participate and demonstrate their impressive cooking skills. This Festival warmly welcomes Mediterranean countries including Morocco, Lebanon, France, Greece, and many others to compete.
This festival lasts for three days. The aroma of Turkish cuisine is enough to attract you to the venue. You can’t control yourself by tasting different food dishes cooked in front of your eyes. It’s friendly advice to come with an empty stomach so you can test maximum foods and enjoy the actual purpose of this Adana festival.
This internationally recognized festival serves as a meeting point for national chefs and authentic guest countries’ expert chefs. Together different cultures create new and memorable dishes. These classical conversations, workshops are once in a lifetime experiences.
According to Governor Mahmut Demirtas,
‘’This Adana festival attracts many people every year which makes us happy. I believe that this attracts more tourists to Turkey. We are delighted to host our honorable foreign guests and locals in the best possible way. I would like to invite everyone to discover the rich cuisine of Turkey.’’
Date: Dec 14-15
Location: Adana
Izmir International World Fair
The Izmir World Festival brings traders from different countries of the world. Currently, the whole world is facing a crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Ministry of Turkey has planned to overcome the crisis with the intent to help other countries.
People from different sectors such as transport, e-commerce and textiles take part in it. There are specific business days for table talks and workshops. These are organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and the Izmir branch of Chamber shipping.
There will be fun activities including theater plays and film screenings. This year, due to COVID-19 precautions, entertainment activities will be held in Ataturk open-air theater, keeping in mind social distancing.
Date: Sep 6-15
Location: Izmir
The Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival
The Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival has been taking place in Southern Antalya since 1994. It’s been 26 years since this festival has won the hearts of people. It has a massive fan following from locals to international admirers. This festival helps in contributing to the culture and traditions of Turkey till today.
With more than 80% of overseas fans, this festival is very popular, and famous opera singers with successful careers participate in mesmerizing performances. Turkey’s culture and art tourism is investing a lot in this field to support their artists.
According to the State Opera and Ballet “We do take care of seating arrangements. It’s our utmost priority to protect our honorable guests. We are following social distancing and COVID-19 precautions provided by the Government of Turkey.
Date: Sep 5-12
Location: Antalya
