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Istanbul is set to host a broad array of cultural events this week, with performances and exhibitions spread across major venues in the city.
The Istanbul State Theater presents Friedrich Durrenmatt's classic comedy "Romulus the Great" ("Buyuk Romulus") at the Mecidiyekoy Buyuk Sahne from April 28 to May 2. Set during the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the play follows Emperor Romulus as he calmly presides over the empire's collapse.
Eugene Ionesco's absurdist landmark "Rhinoceros" ("Gergedanlar") runs at the AKM Tiyatro Salonu on May 2 and 3. The play depicts the gradual transformation of a town's residents into rhinoceroses and is widely regarded as a commentary on mass conformity.
"Suspended" ("Muallak"), written and directed by Murat Taskent, plays at the Mecidiyekoy Studio Stage on May 1 and 2. The production centers on themes of identity and belonging.
John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" ("Fareler ve Insanlar") comes to the Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage on April 30. The stage adaptation follows two itinerant workers as they navigate friendship and hardship during the Great Depression.
The IBB City Theaters season closes May 2. "Phosphorescent Cevriye" ("Fosforlu Cevriye") runs at the Harbiye Muhsin Ertugrul Stage.
Muze Gazhane hosts two productions: "The Start of the Second Act" ("Ikinci Perdenin Basi") and "Time Just Stands There" ("Oylece Durur Zaman").
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" ("Cadi Kazani") plays at the Uskudar Musahipzade Celal Stage. "The Robbers" ("Haramiler") runs at the Kagithane Sadabad Stage, and the Umraniye Stage presents "A Visit" ("Bir Ziyaret").
"I Am Not Medea" ("Ben Medea Degilim") takes the stage at the Uskudar Kerem Yilmazer Stage on April 29, 30, and May 2. The FSM Kultur Sanat Merkezi-Rasim Oztekin Stage closes its season on May 2 with "My Bicycle Was Blue" ("Maviydi Bisikletim").
Richard Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" ("Ucan Hollandali") plays at the AKM Turk Telekom Opera Hall on April 29 and May 2. The opera is drawn from a maritime legend of a captain cursed to sail the seas for eternity.
"Edusa," with music by Guldiyar Tanridagli and libretto by Iskender Pala, premieres at AKM on April 30. The work draws on the culture of the ancient Lydian Kingdom and explores themes of justice and conscience.
A memorial concert honoring Bekir Sidki Sezgin takes place April 28 at the AKM Tiyatro Salonu, marking the 30th anniversary of his death. Sezgin, who died in 1996, was one of the leading figures of Turkish classical music and is regarded as a bridge between Ottoman musical tradition and the modern era.
The TRT Istanbul Radio Jazz Orchestra performs a World Jazz Day concert on April 30 at the AKM Tiyatro Salonu. Pianist Emir Ersoy joins as a guest artist, with Volkan Oktem on drums, Eylem Pelit on bass, and Aleixi R. Contreras on percussion.
Saxophone artist Anil Salliel hosts buzuki master Orhan Osman for the "Underground Hidrellez" concert on May 2 at the AKM Turk Telekom Opera Hall, part of Salliel's Balkan Sessions series.
The Hisar Young Philharmonic Orchestra marks its 30th anniversary with a special concert on April 29 at the Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage. Italian tenor Luca Minnelli performs the following evening, April 30, at the Zorlu PSM Turkcell Stage.
Istanbul Modern hosts a workshop on April 29 and 30 as part of its "Design Dialogues" ("Tasarim Diyaloglari") program, featuring Ahmet Rustem Ekici and Hakan Sorar.
Istanbul Galataport Museverse runs "The Last Stronghold: Discovery of the Middle Ages" ("Son Kale: Orta Cag'in Kesfi") on April 29 and 30. The immersive experience transports visitors to the medieval walled city of Carcassonne.
The ArtıKUME Art Support Program 2025 selection and ODAK Exhibition, organized by the Culture Civilization Foundation (KUME) at Karakoy Palas, is open through June 17.
"Silent Shoes" ("Sessiz Ayakkabilar"), which uses ceramics and painting to document interrupted lives in Gaza, can be viewed through April 30 at Kalyon Kultur Zone in the Nevcarsı Shopping Center.
"In the Master's Footsteps: Patch by Patch" ("Ustanin Izinde: Yama Yama") features 50 works by students of painter Ilhami Atalay in patchwork and other techniques. The exhibition is open through May 1 at the Birlik Vakfi headquarters in Cemberlitas.
A display presenting the life of the Prophet Muhammad and key moments in Islamic history through dioramas is on view at the Siyer Foundation building in Eyupsultan. Audio guides are available in Turkish, Arabic, and English.
"Panorama: Dreams and Places" ("Panorama: Hayaller ve Yerler"), a survey of contemporary photography and lens-based art in Türkiye, continues at Istanbul Modern through Oct. 18.
"Leaking from the Dam" ("Barajdan Sizanlar"), which examines the relationship between land, memory and archive across the Eastern Mediterranean and Gulf regions, runs at Salt Beyoglu through Aug. 23.
"Theses Against Time" ("Zamana Karsi Tezler"), a solo exhibition by painter Mehmet Ali Dogan from his "Mixed Affairs" ("Karisik Isler") series, is open through June 7.
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