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Istanbul is rolling out a packed cultural program this week, bringing together international concerts, classical ballet, theater productions, film screenings, creative workshops and long-running exhibitions across the city.
Among the leading events, Gorillaz will perform in Türkiye for the first time, while Suede, Yeni Turku and Barabar will also take the stage. Theater audiences can catch major productions including "Amadeus," "Don Quixote" and "Swan Lake."
Gorillaz, founded by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett in 1998, will perform at Bonus Parkorman on July 14 and 16 as part of the promotional tour for the group's upcoming 2026 album, "The Mountain."
British rock band Suede will meet Istanbul audiences at Zorlu Performing Arts Center's Turkcell Stage on July 17, while Mashroom will perform as part of the "City Sounds" series at the venue's Vestel Amphitheater on July 16.
Yeni Turku, one of the cult groups of Turkish music, will take the stage at the Kadikoy Selamicesme Ozgurluk Park Amphitheater on July 14 before appearing at Mask Beach on July 24.
Barabar will bring traditional melodies together with guest performers through its "HepBarabar" project at the ENKA Esref Denizhan Open-Air Theater on July 17.
The Istanbul State Opera and Ballet will also mark July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day with the concert "For the Homeland: The Will and the Victory Are Ours" at the Ataturk Cultural Center.
The Imperial Russian Ballet Company will stage Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater on July 17 as part of its world tour.
Peter Shaffer's acclaimed play "Amadeus," starring Selcuk Yontem, Tansu Bicer, Dilan Cicek Deniz and Ozlem Ocalmaz, will be performed at the same venue on July 15.
Yontem will return to the stage alongside Zuhal Olcay in an adaptation of Cervantes' "Don Quixote" on July 16.
"Alevli Gunler," featuring Guven Kirac, Erkan Can, Levent Ulgen and Bahtiyar Engin, will meet audiences at the Kadikoy Selamicesme Ozgurluk Park Amphitheater on July 15.
Dusan Kovacevic's cult play "The Professional," starring Bulent Emin Yarar and Yetkin Dikinciler, will round out the week's major theater program at Harbiye on July 18.
The "Pluxee Cinema Days" program will screen "Hamnet" at Zorlu PSM's Vestel Amphitheater on July 14.
Pera Museum will host the creative writing workshop "Following the Image, the City and the Feeling" on July 17 as part of Petek Halman Kara's exhibition, "At the Water's Edge: The Life and Art of Halil Pasha."
"The Little Prince: An Adventure in Istanbul," which combines aerial acrobatics, digital stage technologies and interactive effects, will be staged at Yucel Art Center on selected dates from July 19 through July 31.
Istanbul Modern is presenting "Semiha Berksoy: An Aria of All Colors," which brings together more than 200 works reflecting Berksoy's output across opera, theater, painting, cinema and literature. The exhibition will remain open until Sept. 6.
Yoko Ono's "Inner Voice and Inner Structure" can be visited at the Sakip Sabanci Museum until Dec. 27, while "The Edge of the Sun," inspired by the light of Anatolia, will continue at Kalyon Kultur until Sept. 30.
Other exhibitions include "The Habits" at Decollage Art Space, "Virginia Woolf: Echoes Between Shores" at Istanbul Bilgi University and "Sweden and Istanbul: Encounters and Interactions Across the Centuries" at Metrohan.
The mixed exhibition "Gunebakan," featuring works by teachers around the themes of family, unity and solidarity, is also open at the Palace Collections Museum Exhibition Hall in Dolmabahce Palace.
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