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Istanbul has launched its edition of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, an annual celebration now recognized as one of the world's largest arts events by scale and visitor turnout.
Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, described the 2026 program as the richest and most extensive yet, spanning 23 venues and more than 50 locations across the city with over 400 events, including 40 concerts and 15 exhibitions and art installations.
Turkish pop and rock favorites headline the main stage lineup, among them Ozcan Deniz, Murat Boz, Kirac, Simge, Bengu, Ceza and Bayhan, alongside recitals, talks, modern dance performances, musicals, theater, and workshops for both children and adults.
Visiting the exhibitions at Ataturk Cultural Centre (AKM) Ersoy highlighted a show bringing together painters Alaeddin Aksoy, Mehmet Guleryuz and Komet from the private collection of Mustafa Taviloglu, as well as an exhibit exploring identity and emotion through color and portraiture.
The festival's culinary program features more than 200 dining spots, drawing on Istanbul's growing reputation as a global gastronomy hub.
The city counts 86 restaurants in the Michelin selection and was recently ranked the world's top food-travel destination in Mastercard's 2025 Travel Trends Report.
Chefs, academics and food content creators have mapped out five themed culinary routes for visitors: Beyoglu–Galata–Karakoy, the Historic Peninsula/Fatih, the Besiktas–İstinye Bosphorus shoreline, Kanlica–Beykoz–Sile, and Kadikoy–Moda.
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Ersoy also voiced support for artists facing backlash over their public statements on the situation in Gaza, calling their advocacy an act of conscience and pushing back against efforts to target them for speaking out.
This year's festival takes place across 26 Turkish cities. Six more, Balikesir, Denizli, Hatay, Kocaeli, Mugla and Tekirdag, will join the roster in 2027, bringing the total to 32 host cities.
The international program includes performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arab Orchestra, plus the Turkish debut of Russia's Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Ballet Theatre.
Also featured is pianist-composer Busra Kayikci's new project "Beyond Wall."
Kayikci was named a voting member of the Recording Academy this year, becoming one of the first Türkiye-based artists granted that status ahead of the 69th Grammy Awards.
The program also includes "Legacy," a retrospective exhibition drawing on over five decades of work by French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
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