This week, Istanbul will come alive with a vibrant mix of art and culture, as exhibitions, concerts, theater performances and festivals offer a rich program for art lovers across the city.
The 13th Bosporus Film Festival will present a diverse lineup of notable films, screening at Atlas 1984 Cinema, AKM Yeşilçam Cinema and Cinema Pink. Audiences will have the chance to see films such as "Palestine 36," "The Voice of Hind Rajab," "All That's Left of You," "Bağ Bozumu," "With Hasan in Gaza," "Yalla Parkour," Bir Adam Yaratmak" ("Creating a Man"), "Gölün Şarkısı," "Gündüz ve Gece" ("Day and Night"), "Güneşin Altında Yeni Bir Şey Yok" (“Nothing New Under the Sun”), "Kanto," "Kesilmiş Bir Ağaç Gibi" ("Like a Limbless Tree"), "Parçalı Yıllar" ("Broken Years"), "Rayların Ötesinde" ("Beyond the Rails") and "Tavşan Imparatorluğu" ("Empire of the Rabbits").
The Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) will host a range of performances throughout the week. On Nov. 12-13, audiences can enjoy the timeless beauty of "Swan Lake," followed by the opera "Gilgamesh" on Nov. 15. Family-friendly performances include "Hazine Masal Küçük Adımlar Hazinenin Izinde" on Nov. 9, while the dance show "Troya" will be staged on Nov. 16. Theater enthusiasts can look forward to Dusan Kovacevic’s play "Profesyonel" ("Professional"), performed on Nov. 15-16 at the AKM Theater Hall.
Meanwhile, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality City Theaters (IBB Şehir Tiyatroları) will present an array of plays across various stages. Highlights include "Merhaba Çocuk" and "Fosforlu Cevriye" ("Luminous Cevriye"), "Ben Medea Değilim" ("I Am Not Medea”), "Masal" ("Tale") "Gök Kubbe," "Sevdalı Bulut," "Sivrisinekler," "Bir Ziyaret," "Benim Küçük Yıldızım," "Maviydi Bisikletim," "Yaftalı Tabut" and "Fındıkkıran" (“The Nutcracker”), running through Nov. 16 at venues including Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage, Usküdar Musahipzade Celal Stage, Müze Gazhane professor Sevda Şener Stage, Kağıthane Sadabad Stage, Usküdar Kerem Yılmazer Stage and Umraniye Stage.
The 29th Istanbul Theater Festival will also continue this week, offering performances such as "Açık Mülk" ("Open House") at Istanbul Manifaturacılar Çarşısı (IMÇ) from Nov. 13-15, "Istanbul Mon Amour: Pera’nın Karanlık Odası" ("Istanbul Mon Amour: Pera’s Darkroom") on Nov. 15 at Beyoğlu venues, and "Oyun Içinde Oyun" ("Game Within a Game") at Alan Kadıköy.
Concerts across the city promise a similarly dynamic experience. At AKM, music lovers can attend the "Atatürk Week" and "Zeybekler Concert" on Nov. 12, "Ozanların Sesi: Edip Akbayram" on Nov. 13 and "Ahmet Abimin Şarkıları: Anılar, Izler ve Hasret" on Nov. 16. Mete Taş will present "Anadolu’nun Senfonisi" on Nov. 15 and the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Children’s Choir will perform "Atatürk’e Minnet" on Nov. 15-16.
Collaborating with the Istanbul Biennial, Salon IKSV will host a concert by Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. At Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Stage, Sibel Can will perform tomorrow, followed by Cem Adrian on Nov. 12 and Özcan Deniz on Nov. 13. Zorlu PSM will feature Batu Şallıel’s jazz concert tomorrow and the MIX Festival on Nov. 14-15. Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard will give his first concert in Türkiye tomorrow at Turkcell Platinum Stage, while Duman and Gripin will perform at Jolly Joker Arena and IF Performance Hall Beşiktaş, respectively, on Nov. 15.
Art enthusiasts can explore exhibitions across the city. The "Dark World" exhibition at Salt Galata runs until Dec. 14, while "90’lardan Beri Halıdayız" "We've Been at the Tapestry Studio Since the 90s" continues at Salt Beyoğlu until March 1, 2026. The photo exhibition "Hikayenin Geri Kalanı" by Mehmet Aslan and Muhammed Muheisen will be on display at Rami Library until Nov. 15. Gülseren Südor’s "Timeless & Spaceless" will be exhibited at Galeri Diani until Nov. 29. At Pera Museum, "Shared Emotions: Works" from the British Council Collection remains open until Jan. 18, 2026, and the IV exhibition featuring Yalçın Gökçebağ, Gözde Atlas, Mümin Candaş and Günsu Saraçoğlu continues at Evrim Art Gallery until Nov. 19.
For younger audiences and families, AKM will offer a variety of workshops during the midterm break. Highlights include the Türk Telekom Children’s Workshop – "What is Artificial Intelligence? Learning with Robot Zeki" from Nov. 9-16 and "From Drawing to Sculpture: Bringing My Character to Life" and "Skill Workshop: Stories of the Colorful Bird" on Nov. 13.
