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The ninth International Taste of Adana Festival set out its plans in Istanbul on Friday, unveiling a “From Generation to Generation” theme and aiming to welcome more than 1 million visitors to Adana’s riverside Merkez Park (Seyhan Central Park) on Oct. 10–12.
Organizers also flagged Adana’s ongoing bid to join UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network for Gastronomy, with a decision expected between Oct. 30 and Nov. 13.
Hosted by Adana Governor Yavuz Selim Kosger, the press event at Istanbul’s Feriye venue brought together metropolitan and district municipalities, chambers, and the festival committee.
Journalist Fulya Ozturk moderated the program, while guests tasted hallmark dishes such as Adana kebab and liver kebab as the festival’s Content Lead Gokmen Sozen laid out a main-stage schedule designed to pull in visitors throughout the three days.
Adana Chamber of Industry Chair Zeki Kivanc underlined that the festival does not only revolve around gastronomy but also speaks to the province’s productive power. Adana Organized Industrial Zone Chair Bekir Sutcu said the growing number of foreign visitors shows Adana’s cuisine draws interest well beyond the local scene.
Seyhan District Acting Mayor Hasibe Akkan described Adana as a “treasure” shaped by fertile lands and deep history, before Metropolitan Municipality Acting Mayor Gungor Gecer called attention to a geography that enjoys roughly 300 sunny days a year and feeds a rich food culture from the Cukurova region’s fresh, natural produce. Gecer stressed that the festival will lean into sustainable kitchen practices.
Taking the stage, Governor Kosger paid tribute to Adana’s abundance, history, and distinctive foodways, and emphasized how taste binds people together across time and place: “Because taste is not only a flavor on the palate; it is memory, remembrance, a common language.”
Adana currently holds 23 registered geographical indications—official marks that protect distinct foods and the know-how behind them—covering dishes such as Adana kebab, Adana anali kizlisi, and Adana sirdan dolmasi, along with desserts like Adana bici bici, Adana halka tatlisi, Adana karakus tatlisi, and Adana tas kadayifi.
At the festival grounds, these products will stand out with GI logos, traceability details, and producer stories that keep local techniques and labor in view.
Across multiple zones running in parallel, the festival will roll out chef talks, panel discussions, live masterclasses, children’s workshops, youth competitions, concerts, and open-air events.
Alongside leading national chefs, internationally recognized Michelin-starred chefs will share their kitchen experience and pair GI-backed ingredients with contemporary techniques, positioning the festival as a meeting point of knowledge and taste, city and art, tradition and innovation.
Last year’s eighth edition drew more than 800,000 visitors and generated an estimated ₺3.7 billion (over $89 million) in economic activity. Alongside 76 stands, 48 women’s cooperatives took part, bringing the work of women producers onto center stage.
Building on that momentum, organizers now aim to bring over 1 million people together around Adana’s long table over three days.
Adana’s file for UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network–Gastronomy has been accepted and cleared its Paris stage, with a final decision set to be announced during UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference in Samarkand between Oct. 30 and Nov. 13.
Organizers view the process as a strategic step to place Adana’s culinary heritage on a global platform and to strengthen culture-led development.
Dates and venue: Oct. 10-12, Merkez Park, Seyhan district, Adana (one of the largest city parks in Türkiye along the Seyhan River).
Access: Free entry; no tickets or registration required.
Capacity notices: If any competitions or activities require limited seats, updates will appear under the Events section on the festival website.
On-site rules: No camping within the festival area.
Spanning roughly 33 hectares along the Seyhan River with views of Sabanci Central Mosque, Central Park offers pools, playgrounds, a skating area, terraces, and a 3-kilometer running and cycling track.
Two pedestrian suspension bridges—Yavuzlar and Sinanpasa—link the park to Yuregir, while gondolas run daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m. for a 15-minute ride between the two bridges from the Gondol Marina. Family-friendly features include play gardens, a small poultry exhibit, and a mini-train.
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