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The Adana Culture Route Festival has kicked off in southern Türkiye, bringing together 252 cultural and artistic events across 23 locations as the final stop of the nationwide Türkiye Culture Route Festival's 2026 program.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the nine-day festival will run through Nov. 15, offering concerts, exhibitions, theater performances, film screenings, talks and children's activities.
The opening ceremony took place at the Adana Museum Complex, where Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gokhan Yazgi highlighted the festival's growing reach and the city's cultural heritage.
Speaking at the ceremony, Yazgi said the nationwide initiative had grown significantly since its launch in 2021, when it was held in just one city.
"What began as a journey in a single city in 2021 has now turned into a major cultural and artistic movement reaching 26 cities across all seven regions of Türkiye," Yazgi said.
Adana is hosting the festival for the third time, with this year's program spreading across 12 venues and 23 locations throughout the city.
Yazgi said the activities aim to bring culture and art into everyday life while supporting local artistic production and passing cultural traditions down to future generations.
He also drew attention to the Adana Museum Complex, describing it as an important part of the city's collective memory, alongside historical landmarks such as Taskopru, a historic stone bridge, and the ancient city of Anavarza.
Beyond the festival's artistic program, Yazgi emphasized the ministry's efforts to raise Adana's international profile as a tourism and gastronomy destination.
He said the city had already built up a reputation for its festivals and distinctive cuisine, but its culinary identity extended far beyond its internationally recognized kebab.
"We want Adana to receive the share it deserves from tourism. It is a very special gastronomic city," Yazgi said, adding that the ministry aimed to introduce its broader culinary traditions, including seafood and regional dishes, to international audiences.
Yazgi also stressed the importance of preserving the city's historical and cultural assets while making its artistic heritage accessible to future generations.
Adana Governor Mustafa Yavuz also addressed the opening ceremony, pointing to the wider Cukurova region's contributions to literature, music, sports and the arts alongside its agricultural heritage.
He said the festival reflected the city's cultural identity and its ability to draw on the past while building its future through artistic and literary production.
Following the speeches, Yazgi and Yavuz toured three exhibitions at the Adana Museum Complex: "Adana Living Heritage," "Sacred Relics of the Ottoman Empire" and "Hane."
The festival will continue through Nov. 15, with performances, exhibitions, workshops and public events taking place across the city.
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