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The 33rd Istanbul Jazz Festival has opened in Istanbul, bringing nearly 200 artists from around the world to venues across the city until July 13.
Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), and sponsored by Garanti BBVA, the festival will feature around 30 concerts over 14 days.
The program brings together leading names from jazz, soul and related genres, underlining the festival's place among Türkiye's longest-running international music events.
This year's program includes Grammy-winning bassist Marcus Miller, who opened the festival, as well as legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, U.S. soul band Thee Sacred Souls and Pakistani-American singer-songwriter Arooj Aftab.
Aftab is known for bringing together Sufi musical traditions and jazz, while the wider festival lineup includes performers from North and South America, Europe and Asia.
According to festival director Harun Izer, this international range reflects the event's broad outlook and its long-standing appeal for both musicians and audiences.
At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Turkish jazz vocalist Senem Diyici received the festival's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Alongside its main concerts, the festival will also spread out across Istanbul through special formats designed to bring jazz into different parts of city life.
Jazz in the Parks will offer free outdoor performances, while the Jazz Ferry will bring live music aboard a ferry crossing the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway that divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia. Night Out will take the festival to multiple venues in Kadikoy, a lively district on the city's Asian side.
A new event, Jazz Flavors, will match live performances with specially curated menus inspired by jazz artists' favorite dishes.
Izer said the festival's 33rd edition carried special meaning because its continuity had made it valuable for artists, organizers and audiences alike.
"Reaching our 33rd edition is a wonderful feeling. The continuity of festivals like this is a great benefit for everyone involved-from artists and organizers to audiences," he said.
The festival will continue at parks, historic sites and open-air theaters across Istanbul. Tickets are available through Passo, while further details can be found on the festival's official website.
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