What is Istanbul Festivali?

Istanbul Festivali is a summer music festival run by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality through IBB Kultur A.S. Because the city organises it, the line-up spans more genres than a private festival usually books, and headline prices have generally been lower than at comparable commercial festivals.

Who played Istanbul Festivali 2026?

  • Opening night: Central Cee with Motive, reported as the most crowded concert in the festival's history
  • Turkish pop and rock: Ajda Pekkan, Gulsen, Hande Yener, Duman, Yildiz Tilbe and Sagopa Kajmer
  • K-pop stage: ATEEZ, MONSTA X and Sunmi
  • EDM: Tiesto

When is Istanbul Festivali?

Every summer. The 2026 edition ran from 1 to 16 August. Audiences differ greatly from night to night, so choose a day by its line-up.

Where is Festival Park Yenikapi?

Festival Park is on the waterfront at Yenikapi, on about 120,000 square metres of reclaimed land. Its stated daily scale is around 75,000 people, more than four times Kucukciftlik Park's standing capacity. The Marmaray, metro and ferry connections below provide ways to reach the site.

Festival Park Yenikapi

How to get to Istanbul Festivali at Yenikapi

Yenikapi is one of Istanbul's largest transport hubs:

  • Marmaray rail, which runs directly under the Bosphorus from the Asian side
  • M1 and M2 metro lines
  • The ferry terminal
Fast fact
With rail in four directions, leaving a 75,000-person site at the end of the night is far easier at Yenikapi than at most outdoor venues.

How much are Istanbul Festivali tickets?

Tickets are sold per day and per artist through Turkish ticketing platforms, with no festival pass. Some daytime programming, including sports, children's activities and food stalls, is free. Evening concerts require a paid ticket.