Summer is here with festivals to cheer.
From popular music festivals to unique cultural experiences, check out this list of what’s coming up in Türkiye over the next few months.
The first-ever World Handicrafts and Clothing Heritage Festival in Antalya will take place at the Glass Pyramid Hall on June 24-28. Dedicated to celebrating and preserving cultural heritage from around the world, representatives from more than 17 countries have registered so far for the event referred to in Turkish as the "Dünya El Sanatları ve Giyim Mirası Festivali." Held in conjunction with Antalya’s Metropolitan Municipality, the international ICTI Association and supported by UNESCO, this event in Antalya is now included in the World Crafts Council (WCC) annual calendar.
Taking place at the Glass Pyramid Hall, the five-day festival will feature exhibitions of handcrafts and textiles and traditional to modern fashion pieces from all over the world with special events such as fashion shows and musical-dance performances with the participation of WCC and UNESCO representatives, with the first two days also featuring world music concerts. Doors will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Chill-Out Festival is going into its second decade as being one of the most highly anticipated events to signal the start of summer. This year, the first edition took place in May in Istanbul, with the second happening this Saturday, June 22, in Izmir’s Urla and at Urla Sahne, to be exact. Then, on Aug. 3, the festival moves to Susona Bodrum. This unique concept event focuses more on the festival-goers than the performances and is intended to be a holistic, healing, unifying and inspiring experience. The line-up features Alba, Allen Hulsey, Ayanbeyan Featuring Eren Dutlu, Bue Dietrich, Cantanca, Khokdukina and Menachem 26.
The three-day Çanakkale Camping and Caravan Festival will be held on Karabiga Beach and is geared for caravan enthusiasts as well as nature lovers and adventurers who can also camp out for the duration. In addition to live music performances at a campfire at night by well-known Turkish artists, there will also be delicious food and regional delights served with an outdoor picnic vibe. Nature walks and exploration tours will take place in the vicinity’s surroundings and there will be some handicraft workshops, including making jewelry from shells and painting with natural materials also taking place on the sidelines.
But the real highlight will be getting to listen to well-known personalities share their own caravaning lifestyle and camping experiences for a willing audience, as much of the intent of this festival is to connect those who are motor-home travelers, aspirers or lovers. The line-up of performances is also not to be missed as they include rock star Çelik, Mansur Ark and the popular revival band Retrobüs, who dress up and perform some of the country’s most beloved songs from the past. There will also be DJ performances, ethnic music concerts with drums and taverna music to name just a few of the featured musical outfits.
The seventh annual Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival resumes at the end of this month with fantastic performances that take place in a truly mesmerizing setting. From "Swan Lake," "Evita," "Tosca" and "Zorba the Greek" to name a few, there is a long list of performances that will be held at the ancient site’s amphitheater from June 29 to July 14. Part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s summer concert series, this is just one of several performances that will take place this summer in historical sites.
Going into its 21st year, one of the highlights in Bodrum is the annual Bodrum Ballet and Opera Festival which showcases performances in the historical Bodrum Castle’s amphitheater. "Swan Lake," "Carmen," "The Great Gatsby" and more are just some of the performances on this year’s bill for the festival taking place from Aug. 3 to 22. People literally plan their trip to the popular holiday town to be able to experience these artistic performances in such an important cultural venue.
Perhaps the most iconic stage in the country however happens to be the stage set up at the historical Aspendos Amphitheater in Antalya. Thankfully held towards the end of summer when temperatures are slightly cooler, this year the concert series will take place from Sept. 13-26 with performances of "Aida," "Carmen" and a Tango show, "Tosca" and "Swan Lake."
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s opera and ballet series also extends to the cities of Istanbul and Eskişehir, albeit those concert series have already passed. This month it comes to Trabzon from June 22 to 26, followed by the Ministry’s Culture Route Festival, which will run until July 7. The program includes a wide variety of ballets, operas, theatrical performances and showcases of artists, musical and otherwise. The over a dozen scheduled performances in varying venues include a theatrical play on Picasso, "Carmen" and a concert of Ahmet Kaya songs, to name just a few.
