Where tradition meets tomorrow, the 7th Ethnosport Culture Festival is set to turn Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport grounds into a living canvas of global heritage from May 22-25, uniting over 1,000 athletes from 20 countries in a bold display of ancestral sports, culture and family values.
World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) President Bilal Erdoğan, speaking live on A Haber, framed the festival as more than just a sporting event – it’s a cultural revival. “We began with a vision to spotlight Anatolian sports, and today, interest has stretched across continents,” Erdoğan said.
Launched in 2015 in Kyrgyzstan, the Ethnosport initiative now boasts 42 member organizations from 27 countries, with ambitions to expand to 60 nations within five years. “It’s not only about preserving our roots – it’s about passing them forward,” Erdoğan noted.
The event will feature a sprawling array of traditional competitions, from mounted archery and belt wrestling to centuries-old board games like Mangala and 19 Taş. Far from a relic-chasing festival, Ethnosport is positioning itself as an antidote to screen addiction among youth.
“We take horses to schools, teach archery, and reintroduce kids to play – not pixels,” Erdoğan said, highlighting the initiative’s goal of reducing digital dependency and cultivating cultural curiosity.
This year’s festival comes with a new, fitting theme: “Tradition Begins in the Family,” aligning with Türkiye’s 2025 designation as the Year of the Family. A first-of-its-kind “Family Tent” will debut, offering workshops, traditional games, and parent-child discussions – all designed to weave culture into the fabric of everyday family life.
Organizers expect over 1 million visitors, including 400,000 students, to attend the free-entry festival. But Erdoğan stressed that numbers only tell part of the story.
“What excites me is not the crowd, but the connection,” he said. “How many children will touch a horse for the first time? How many will taste Uzbek pilaf? That’s where the real magic is.”
As the festival’s footprint and name recognition grow, Erdoğan and his team remain keen on feedback – surveying attendees and the public annually to fine-tune the experience. “Now, when we ask people if they know Ethnosport, they immediately think of this vibrant festival in Istanbul. That tells us we’re on the right track.”
More than just a parade of the past, the Ethnosport Culture Festival is shaping into a powerful platform for cultural diplomacy and soft power – an arena where Türkiye introduces its traditions to the world, while also learning from others.
“Heritage isn’t static,” Erdoğan concluded. “It lives, it breathes – and when shared, it brings people together. That’s the spirit of Ethnosport.”
