Summer Festivals from Gastronomy to Cinema
Festivals are organized all across Turkey, offering opportunities for people to enjoy the summer outdoors. Numerous events spanning the worlds of music, film, gastronomy, and mixology infuse the energy of summer into the city. Concerts featuring the renowned names from the music industry, open-air movie screenings with a touch of nostalgia, artisanal flavors crafted by master chefs, and much more contribute to the summer atmosphere on the festival grounds. To help you make the most of the most active times of the year with festival enthusiasm, we’ve explored the prominent events of this summer for you.*
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Gezgin Salon Festival, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), Banner, 2023 |
+1 Presents: Gezgin Salon Festival
Salon IKSV’s event, “+1 Presents: Gezgin Salon Festival”, which transports the music from Salon IKSV’s venue in Beyoğlu to the heart of nature, is meeting music lovers for the second time. The festival, featuring the world-famous bands and artists alongside popular names from Turkey, will take place on July 29-30. During the two-day festival, artists like Satori, L’Impératrice, Agar Agar, Sylvie Kreusch, Emir Taha, Jon Hopkins, Büyük Ev Ablukada, Warhaus, Still Corners, and Tsar B will grace the stage. Beyond the musical lineup, the event promises a variety of activities for the festival participants.
You can find detailed information about the program and artists for “+1 Presents: Gezgin Salon Festival” here.
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7th Çalı Köy Filmleri Festivali
“Çalı Köy Filmleri Festivali” (Çalı Village Films Festival), inspired by the 1934 movie “Aysel, Bataklı Damın Kızı”, filmed in the village of Çalı in Bursa, is set to bring the summer cinema culture to the audience for the 7th time from July 28 to 30. The event, aiming to inject a breath of fresh air into the film festivals in Turkey, showcases films that either focus on the village or utilize rural locations. Festival participants are welcome to camp with their tents or to bring chairs and cushions for a cozy movie-watching experience.
For information about the “7th Çalı Köy Filmleri Festivali”, click here.
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Soundscape Festival
The “Soundscape Festival”, where the universal culture and design elements converge with music, various multidisciplinary art forms, and spiritual activities, is set to let you experience all the sounds of the nature blended with electronic music for the 3rd time at Lifepark, Istanbul’s largest forested event area. This festival brings together all the sounds of nature often drowned out by the busy and noisy atmosphere of the city, blending them with music. The 2-day event will take place in the lush greenery of Life Park on August 5-6.
You can find information about the “Soundscape Festival” tickets and other details here.
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İstanbul Cocktail Festival
The “İstanbul Cocktail Festival”, organized by WonderWheel and URU and now in its 6th edition, will be hosted at KüçükÇiftlik Park on August 5-6 this year. Bringing together the prominent cocktails of the gastronomy and mixology world, the festival promises participants an enjoyable day filled with various workshops, design products, cocktail presentations, games, and multiple activities. Combining gastronomy and art, the festival also features stage performances by Mert Demir, Selin Geçit, Elderbrook Live, and Emir Taha.
To closely follow the “Istanbul Cocktail Festival” program, click here.
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A Midsummer’s Night Festival
Beykoz Kundura invites art lovers in Istanbul to “A Midsummer’s Night Festival” on the shores of the Bosporus from August 4 to 20. Inspired by the fusion of film and music, this year’s festival focuses on the Oscar and Grammy award-winning Italian composer Nino Rota in its “Restored Classics” program, featuring five classic films by the artist: “La Dolce Vita” (1960), “8½” (1963), “Plein Soleil” (1960), and the first two films of “The Godfather” trilogy. In the festival’s “Silent Film” program, classic circus-themed movies from the early days of cinema will be presented to the audience, accompanied by live performances from experienced musicians.
For more information and tickets for the seventh edition of “A Midsummer’s Night Festival”, click here.
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DenizBank VoiceUp A Capella Festival, Banner, 2023
The “DenizBank VoiceUp A Capella Festival”, organized by Vokal Akademi with Başak Doğan as the founding artistic director and sponsored by DenizBank, is set to take place in 19 different locations across Istanbul from August 22 to 27, 2023. With the goal of learning, sharing, and promoting choral and a cappella music in Turkey, the festival draws inspiration from European events like Europa Cantat, Eurotreff, and Choralies. Featuring 600 musicians, 40 choirs, and vocal groups, the festival promises a musical feast for the audience. Attendees can participate in 25 diverse workshops and enjoy over 25 concerts led by Europe’s prominent instructors and conductors.
For detailed information about the festival, click here.
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Electronica Festival Istanbul 2023
“Electronica Festival Istanbul 2023” is set to celebrate its 19th anniversary on September 1-2, 2023, at Zorlu PSM Istanbul. The event, featuring various DJ performances, promises electronic music enthusiasts a delightful festival experience with its experienced artist lineup, live performances, and impressive stage scenography.
For more information about the “Electronica Festival Istanbul 2023”, please follow @FG93.8 and @ElectronicalFestival on social media.
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Bozcaada Jazz Festival
The 7th edition of the “Bozcaada Jazz Festival”, which has been inhabiting the inspiring landscape of Bozcaada since 2017, is set to take place at Ayazma Monastery from September 8 to 10, 2023. While showcasing the national and international jazz artists, the festival also invites participants to engage in various studies and discussions centered around gender equality, ecological transformation, and accessibility within the BJF EXPLORATION program, all in the enchanting atmosphere of the island. This year’s theme for the festival, which features different themes each year, is “play”. Participants will have the chance to engage in various activities centered around the theme of “play” while enjoying the performances by the jazz legends.
For more information about the “Bozcaada Jazz Festival”, which incorporates various disciplines from art to gastronomy, click here.
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Picnic & Gathering
Blending traditional picnic culture with a refined selection of music, gastronomy, and mixology, “Picnic & Gathering” is organized in three different locations every year, offering a fun festival experience to participants. With alternative music performances, the participation of gourmet restaurants, renowned bartenders, and distinctive artists, along with workshops covering various creative fields, “Picnic & Gathering” will take place on August 26 at Swissotel The Bosphorus in Istanbul and for the first time in Ankara on September 9-10 at Club Mirador.
For more information about the “Picnic & Gathering” in Istanbul and Ankara, click here.
 Ankara Coffee Festival |
Ankara Coffee Festival
The “Ankara Coffee Festival”, an event that awakens the city, will bring together the coffee enthusiasts for the 7th time in 2023. The festival showcases quality coffees, coffee shops, artisan flavors, roasters, national and international coffee brands, and stakeholders from the coffee industry. As in previous years, participants can enjoy special tastings, live concerts, stage performances, seminars, and workshops this year as well. The festival, filled with the coffee smell, is set to take place at Bilkent Center in Ankara from September 22 to 24.
For more information about the “Ankara Coffee Festival,” click here.
9. AIMA Music Festival
The “9th AIMA Ayvalık Music Festival”, organized by Ayvalık International Music Academy (AIMA) in Ayvalık, Balıkesir since 2013, has started. Featuring a total of 12 concerts throughout the summer season, the festival gathers classical and jazz music enthusiasts. The festival, which kicked off in June with the “O da Tekfen” brass quintet, will conclude on September 24 with the friendship concert “Hand in Hand for Peace”, uniting musicians from Turkey and Greece to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the population exchange between the two countries.
For the program of the 9th AIMA Ayvalık Music Festival, click here.
*Festivals are listed by their end dates.
