Türkiye’s Culture Route Festivals among Europe’s Most Prestigious Festivals

 Türkiye’s Culture Route Festivals have become a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA), a distinguished organisation encompassing Europe’s premier cultural and arts festivals. With EFA membership, the festivals will carry the rich cultural heritage of Anatolia to the world stage.

Türkiye Culture Route Festivals, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, started with the Beyoğlu Culture Route Festival in 2021 to convey Anatolia’s rich history, culture, art, and civilisation to the world. The festivals, expanding to five more cities each year with more inclusive and widespread events, are expected to span all parts of the country soon. This cultural regalement, contributing to the country’s international brand value, held at seven cities in 2022. Building on 2022’s success, the Culture Route Festivals continued in 11 cities across Türkiye in 2023.

In 2024, the festivals was held between April 13 and November 10 in 16 cities; including Adana, Şanlıurfa, Bursa, Samsun, Trabzon, Van, Nevşehir, Erzurum, Çanakkale, Gaziantep, Ankara, Konya, İstanbul, Diyarbakır, İzmir, and Antalya. In 2025, Mardin, Malatya, Manisa, and Kayseri will be added to these cities, and festivals will be held in 20 cities.They will include thousands of artists and events ranging from performing arts to cinema, literature, and contemporary art, which suit everyone’s taste and interest.

EFA stands out as an esteemed consortium uniting approximately 100 festivals in 40 countries. The association’s mission is to connect and represent its member festivals worldwide, provide platforms that bring arts to audiences, and emphasise access to and participation in culture and arts as fundamental human rights.