Istanbul will host a wide range of cultural events throughout the week, spanning exhibitions, theater, concerts and opera performances across the city.
One of the highlights of the program is the staging of “Swan Lake” as part of the 17th International Istanbul Opera and Ballet Festival organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet. The production will be performed on June 10 at the Atatürk Cultural Center’s (AKM) Türk Telekom Opera Hall. At the same venue’s Yeşilçam Cinema, the movie “Rabbit Empire” featuring child actors Alpay Kaya and Sermet Yeşil, will be screened for audiences between June 9 and 11.
Dance and theater performances will continue across the city. The internationally known Svetlana Antipova Classical Dance School and Studio will stage “Little Red Riding Hood” on June 13 at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center.
Atatürk Cultural Center’s (AKM) Children’s Art Centre will host events and workshops for different age groups. These include “Theater of Emotions,” designed to develop emotional awareness and expression skills for children aged 7-11 under Tuba Karabey Özkök; “Mystery Island,” which focuses on teamwork, problem-solving and imagination through improvisation and an “Ebru Workshop” led by Emine Uğur for children aged 4-6, aimed at developing fine motor skills and creative thinking through traditional techniques.
Zorlu Performing Arts Center will present two theater productions on June 13: “Dracula,” a joint production by BKM and Kabare Dada featuring Okan Bayülgen and Hayko Cepkin, will be performed on the Turkcell Stage, while “Toz,” written by Murat Mahmutyazıcıoğlu and directed by Hira Tekindor, will be staged on the Turkcell Platinum Stage.
The city’s concert schedule includes Aurora performing on June 8 at the Atatürk Cultural Center’s Turkish Telekom Opera Hall, and “Hymns & Semahs – Symphonic” on June 11 at the same venue.
Rock legend Alice Cooper will meet fans on June 13 at Lifepark, while the band Zakkum will perform a selection of its popular songs on June 12 at Kartal Beyrut Performance. Singer Sevda Deniz Karali’s “Calm Concert” is also scheduled for June 12 at Zorlu PSM’s Vestel Amphitheater.
The Pera Museum will host a conference on June 11 as part of its “By the Water: The Life and Art of Halil Paşa” exhibition. The second edition of the Akaretler Art Project will remain open at Akaretler Row Houses until June 14. The Foundation for Child and Family Development and Education’s (ÇAGEV) “Healing through Art” exhibition will continue until June 21.
At Rami Library, the “Words Dedicated to Time” exhibition featuring Turkish poet and writer Sezai Karakoç’s archival documents, manuscripts, first editions and personal typewriter will be open until June 22.
The “Circle of Abundance” exhibition, which explores expressions of love for the Prophet Muhammad in art and collective memory, will be open at Üsküdar Mimar Sinan Gallery until June 21.
An ongoing exhibition prepared by the Siyer Foundation presents dioramas illustrating the life of the Prophet Muhammad and is open in Turkish, Arabic and English at the foundation’s building in Eyüpsultan.
Another exhibition, “Two Sides, One Story: Life in the World Heritage Sites of Süleymaniye and Zeyrek,” organized in partnership between Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the German Archaeological Institute, will remain open at Metrohan until Sep. 20.
