More than 1000 festivals are held in Turkey every year. Along with festivals of local scale held in almost every city of the country, cultural events and other festivals of international reach are also organized in major metropolitan centers such as Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir and Antalya.
Istanbul is the most important center of festivals. In the summer months, a number of music festivals are held in Istanbul. Many are organized by and associated with prominent names in Turkey's private sector. Every year over 4.000 social dancers from 120 Countries attend to Istanbul Dance Festival (13th Anniversary in 2025) which promises an unforgettable week of dance with performances and workshops led by World-renowned artists from all around the World. The Efes Pilsen Blues Festival, which celebrated its 10th year in 2006, hosts well-known blues and jazz groups. The Akbank International Jazz Festival provides the opportunity of improvisation and jam sessions between Turkish musicians and jazz masters of the world. The Yapı Kredi Art Festival with its concerts ranging from rock and roll and pop music to classical music and jazz is actually a series of events around the year. Fuji Film World Music Days is yet another important music festival.
İzmir is notable for hosting the oldest festival activity in Turkey, within the frame of multi-theme İzmir International Fair held in the first days of September, and organized by İZFAŞ, a depending company of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. The musical and other cultural events that take place at the same time as the commercial fair had started out as an auxiliary activity to attract popular interest for the fair, but over the years the festival became a school by itself.
Major festivalsTurkish Festival GuideIstanbul International Dance FestivalOrganized annually since 2011 (13th Anniversary in 2025)International Bodrum Dance FestivalInternational Ankara Film Festival 16thAnkara International Music FestivalAlanya International Culture and Art Festival 11thGümüşlük International Classical Music Festival Annual since 2004International Ankara Cartoon FestivalBilkent International Theater Meeting (Ankara)Bilkent International Anatolia Music Festival (Ankara)International Istanbul Film Festival 25thInternational Istanbul Theater FestivalIstanbul Fringe FestivalIstanbul International Music FestivalIstanbul International Jazz Festival 12thInternational Istanbul BiennialNeon International Psychedelic Music & Art Festival Bursa – JulyBarışarockRock'n Cokeİzmir International FairOrganized annually since 1927İzmir European Jazz FestivalOrganized annually since 1994International Izmir FestivalOrganized annually since 1987İzmir Alacati International Child and Youth Theaters Festivalİzmir Fair International Folk Dances FestivalCesme Sea Festivity and International Song Contest (İzmir)Nasreddin Hodja Festivities (Konya)Mevlana Memorial Celebrations (Konya)International Pamukkale Music and Culture Festival (Denizli)International Amateur Theaters Festival (Denizli)Traditional Manisa Mesir FestivalYunus Emre Culture and Art Week (Eskişehir)International Eskişehir Festival 11thInternational Bursa FestivalAdıyaman International Commagene FestivalTraditional Kırkpınar Oil-Wrestling Festivities(Edirne)International Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Memorial Celebrations (Nevşehir)International Atatürk Dam Water Sports Feast (Şanlıurfa)Mersin International Music FestivalŞanlıurfa International Culture and Art WeekAntalya Demre International Noel Baba (St. Nicholas) Memorial CelebrationsAspendos Opera and Ballet Festival (Antalya)Turkish Choral FestivalAnnual – since 1996Alanya International Culture and Art Festival3–5 OctoberRobert College Fine Arts Festival (Istanbul)Organized annually since 1982Kadirga FestivalAnnualEdirne International Kakava FestivalAnnual on May 5Cappadocia Music Festival Annual on July Teknofest IstanbulSeptember