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Türkiye has launched its 2025–26 cultural and artistic season under the vision of “Art Everywhere," marking what officials describe as a new chapter in the country’s cultural life.
With more than 7,000 events planned and 45,000 artists involved, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism says the stage is set for one of the most dynamic seasons in recent history.
Introducing the season at Istanbul’s Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that stages, exhibitions, and concerts will increase across the country.
He noted that AKM alone hosted 2.5 million visitors last year, with nearly 2,400 events, while Ankara’s CSO Ada welcomed close to 300,000 people, transforming from a neglected building into a vibrant cultural venue. Both centers will again serve as leading hubs for the Türkiye Culture Route Festival.
Ersoy underlined the rapid growth of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, declaring that it has now become the world’s largest cultural event of its kind. Running for eight months across 20 cities, the festival will host nearly 7,000 events in over 1,000 venues.
By 2026, the program will expand to 26 cities and to 32 cities by 2027. Upcoming additions include Aydın, Eskisehir, Kahramanmaras, Mersin, Ordu, and Sakarya, with Balikesir, Denizli, Hatay, Kocaeli, Mugla, and Tekirdag to follow later. Alongside this, “Anatolian Festivities” and “Living Heritage Celebrations” will continue nationwide.
Türkiye’s State Theatres set a 75-year record last season by drawing more than 2.2 million spectators. The number of stages will rise from 59 to 64 this season, with a target of 70 by year’s end. Meanwhile, the State Opera and Ballet staged more than 1,200 performances last season for over 700,000 people.
Notably, tickets for the Nutcracker sold out within just 45 seconds for each of its 52 performances. New productions this year will include Faust, The Great Romulus, Dead Bells, and Silver Skates. Touring projects such as “Wagon Stage” and “Truck Stage” will also bring performances to towns across Anatolia.
With the motto “Opera and Ballet Everywhere”, the Anadolu Opera and Ballet Festival will return in 2026, beginning in Bayburt and continuing in Cemisgezek.
Ersoy emphasized that these initiatives aim to make opera and ballet accessible beyond the country’s major cities.
Cinema will also see a major initiative. Ersoy announced that Wednesdays will be “Cinema Day” until the end of the year, with ticket prices fixed at ₺120 (about $2.88).
The campaign aims to sustain the recent surge in audience numbers by making screenings more affordable.
Istanbul’s historic Atlas Cinema has reopened after a full restoration, now operating as both a cinema and a museum.
As part of the Culture Route Festival, it is currently hosting the exhibition The Art of James Cameron, dedicated to the world-renowned director’s creative journey, which will remain open for six months.
The ministry highlighted that government support for the film industry rose from ₺16 million (about $384,000) in 2005 to ₺470 million in 2025. The Türkiye Film Festival also set a record in September with 780,000 viewers.
Meanwhile, Turkish television dramas continue to enjoy international success, now reaching audiences in more than 170 countries, with over 1 billion viewers worldwide. Two recent mini-series focusing on Istanbul and Antalya together achieved more than 1.5 billion views.
Türkiye’s libraries also show significant growth. The number of books doubled from 12.5 million in 2002 to nearly 26 million today, with memberships reaching 7.6 million.
Rami Library in Istanbul, which hosted 7 million visitors in two and a half years, was named a finalist for the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Ersoy also pointed to progress in long-standing copyright disputes. A new protocol signed in March has led to a dramatic rise in royalties for musicians, with collections increasing by 343% to more than ₺2.2 billion.
In a symbolic move, the new season will include a special program dedicated to Palestine.
Ersoy said that Türkiye would use “the universal and profound power of art” to present the plight of Palestine to the world’s conscience.
The minister concluded by noting that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Türkiye’s cultural vision continues to grow. Quoting his own words, he said: “A nation’s lasting power is measured by the works of art it produces.”
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