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. The Pamukbank Dance Days brings world famous dance groups to Istanbul. 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 festivals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Festival Guide | ||
| International Bodrum Dance Festival | ||
| International Ankara Film Festival | 16th | |
| Ankara International Music Festival | ||
| Alanya International Culture and Art Festival | 11th | |
| Gümüşlük International Classical Music Festival | Annual since 2004 | |
| International Ankara Cartoon Festival | ||
| Bilkent International Theater Meeting (Ankara) | ||
| Bilkent International Anatolia Music Festival (Ankara) | ||
| International Istanbul Film Festival | 25th | |
| International Istanbul Theater Festival | ||
| Istanbul Fringe Festival | ||
| Istanbul International Music Festival | ||
| Istanbul International Jazz Festival | 12th | |
| International Istanbul Biennial | ||
| Neon International Psychedelic Music & Art Festival | Bursa – July | |
| Barışarock | ||
| Rock'n Coke | ||
| İzmir International Fair | Organized annually since 1927 | |
| İzmir European Jazz Festival | Organized annually since 1994 | |
| International Izmir Festival | Organized annually since 1987 | |
| İzmir Alacati International Child and Youth Theaters Festival | ||
| İzmir Fair International Folk Dances Festival | ||
| Cesme 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 Festival | ||
| Yunus Emre Culture and Art Week (Eskişehir) | ||
| International Eskişehir Festival | 11th | |
| International Bursa Festival | ||
| Adıyaman International Commagene Festival | ||
| Traditional Kırkpınar Oil-Wrestling Festivities(Edirne) | ||
| International Hacı Bektaş-i Veli Memorial Celebrations (Nevşehir) | ||
| International Atatürk Dam Water Sports Feast (Şanlıurfa) | ||
| Mersin International Music Festival | ||
| Şanlıurfa International Culture and Art Week | ||
| Antalya Demre International Noel Baba (St. Nicholas) Memorial Celebrations | ||
| Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival (Antalya) | ||
| Turkish Choral Festival | Annual – since 1996 | |
| Alanya International Culture and Art Festival | 3–5 October | |
| Robert College Fine Arts Festival (Istanbul) | Organized annually since 1982 | |
| Kadirga Festival | Annual | |
| Edirne International Kakava Festival | Annual on May 5 | |
| Cappadocia Music Festival | Annual on July | |
| Teknofest Istanbul | September | |