Istanbul's July 6 week packed with concerts, art shows

Istanbul is set to host a wide range of cultural events this week, spanning concerts, exhibitions and festivals across venues on both sides of the Bosphorus.

International names take stage

Greek singer Konstantinos Argiros performs on July 9 and 10 at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater.

American punk rock band The Offspring plays Life Park on July 10, while Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin performs at Kucukciftlik Park on July 11.

The Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater also hosts two concerts organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Culture, Arts and Social Affairs Department on July 7 and 8.

Kurtalan Ekspres performs "Beyond Time," marking Ahmet Guvenc's 50th year with the group, featuring works by Baris Manco, Cem Karaca and Erkin Koray with guest artists.

On July 8, Bulutsuzluk Ozlemi and the IBB Istanbul Youth Orchestra perform symphonic arrangements of the band's songs with guest musicians.

Other concerts this week include:

• "Spanish and Latin American Classics: Passion for Music," conducted by Rustam Rahmedov, at the Ataturk Cultural Center on July 12.
• The 4th International Istanbul Choir Festival, bringing choirs from several countries to the city's historic venues from July 9 to 12.
• The 33rd Istanbul Jazz Festival, continues through July 13 with performances by Turkish and international artists.
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  William Hodges’ “View of Owharre Harbour, Huahine” is displayed at Sotheby’s in London ahead of auction, June 26, 2026. (AA Photo)

Art on every wall

Istanbul Modern's exhibition "Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors" presents more than 200 works spanning the artist's career in opera, theater, painting, film, and literature, and runs through Sept. 6. A special tour takes place on July 8 for museum ticket holders.

Also at Istanbul Modern, "Panorama: Dreams and Places" runs through Oct. 18, "Floating Islands" through July 12 and "Renzo Piano: Spirit of the Place" through Dec. 31. On July 10, musician Asena Akan leads a sound workshop titled "Tune Yourself" as part of the museum's "Long Friday" program.

The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum presents "Seal of the Heart: Reisulkuttab Haci Mustafa Efendi Manuscripts Collection and Family Legacy" from July 8 to 31, tracing the collection and family history of an Ottoman state, scholarly and endowment figure.

Rami Library's "Rami Children and Art Biennial" continues through July 31, free to visit.

Other exhibitions currently open across the city include:

• "Water, Paper, Paint," a painting exhibition by Cemal Toy, at Black Light Gallery in Karakoy's French Passage through July 25.
• "Sweden and Istanbul: Encounters and Interactions Across Centuries," organized by IBB Culture and IBB Heritage, at Metrohan through Aug. 30.
• "Yol," a multidisciplinary exhibition by sculptor and documentary photographer Ubey Talha Akkaya, at the Tarik Zafer Tunaya Cultural Center in Beyoglu through July 10.

An installation from Yoko Ono's "Insound and Instructure" exhibition is displayed at Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul, Türkiye. (AA Photo)

Small hands, big ideas

Sakip Sabanci Museum's Yoko Ono exhibition, "Inner Voice and Inner Structure," running through Dec. 27, includes a series of July workshops for children centered on imagination and inquiry.

Sessions include "Listening to Lines" and "Peace Poster: War Is Over" for ages 8-10 on July 11; "How High Is the Sky?" for ages 3-5 on July 12; "I Have a Message: Yoko Ono" for ages 9-12; "Draw the Scream" for ages 7-9 on July 22; and "Traces of Attention" for ages 7-10 and "Redraw the Map" for ages 9-12, both on July 25.

Rami Library launches its "2026 Summer School Program" for ages 9-12, running in four terms from July 6 to Aug. 28 with free workshops in science, art, technology, literature and crafts.

July 07, 2026 08:07 AM GMT+03:00