January
•New Year. After an evening of fireworks and other celebrations on New Year's Eve, things quiet down in Istanbul on January 1st. Although many businesses close for the holidays, there are still many tourist attractions, including museums and mosques, that are open on New Year's Day.
•Orthodox Christmas. On January 7, churches are filled with worshipers. Armenian and Greek Orthodox do not miss the opportunity to receive a blessing from the Patriarchs.
•Shopping. Winter sales start in January. In Istanbul, you will find big discounts throughout the month on all categories of branded goods.
February
•International Film Festival is one of the most important film festivals in Istanbul, showing the best films of Turkish and international cinema. The event is held every year for 10 days in the second half of February.
•The Istanbul International Gastronomy Festival is held in the middle of the month every year. The world-class event features around 2000 chefs from over 25 countries. Culinary professionals compete in 52 different categories, showcasing their skills by creating a variety of delicious dishes, including Turkish and international cuisine.
•Valentine's Day has only started to be celebrated in the last two decades. In big cities like Istanbul, you will find many restaurants catering to couples in love, as well as heart-shaped cakes in pastry shops, special programs in big hotels where everything is decorated with red roses and hearts.
March
•Nevruz is a holiday celebrated on March 21 to welcome the beginning of the spring season. It has a highly symbolic meaning for the Kurds in Turkey and the Middle East. The celebrations often include bonfires, folk dancing and singing.
•The Istanbul Handicraft Fair takes place in March at the Chapel of St. Helena. Profits from the items sold go to help refugees in Istanbul. The Spring Market is a great way to find a unique gift or souvenir to take home, from art and clothing to toys and jewelry.
April
•International Film Festival – Istanbul’s leading international film festival, held in the first half of April, offers the opportunity to see the best art films alongside fantastic films from around the world. Filmmakers and actors from around the world gather in the city for this world-famous film festival.
•The International Tulip Festival in Istanbul runs throughout April. Although tulips are associated with the Netherlands, commercial cultivation of tulips began in the Ottoman Empire. In addition to tulip viewing, there are a variety of events including live music, painting, sculpture, photography and glass-blowing performances.
•National Sovereignty and Children's Day are celebrated on April 23 with parades and processions of schoolchildren. Groups of children in national costumes perform short performances accompanied by traditional music. The procession culminates with a big performance at the national football stadium in Istanbul.
May
•The Architecture Festival is held annually at the beginning of May. The event allows visitors to visit important buildings in Istanbul in architectural and historical terms that are normally closed, such as the impressive Ortakoy along the Bosphorus and the wonderful Misir Apartments.
•The International Theatre Festival is held once a year from May to June. The genres of art include independent and classical productions.
•Hedlerlez Festival is one of the seasonal festivals that is celebrated on the night of May 5th to 6th. The event includes gypsy singing with locals, jumping over a bonfire and making wishes.
•The Istanbul International Puppet Festival is a great opportunity to see fantastic puppets, puppetry and shadow theatre in small venues throughout the city during the second week of May.
June
•Istanbul Music Festival is one of the best events for music lovers held in June every year. Thus, the 44th annual festival from June 1 to June 24, 2016 will host about 600 local and international performers, including celebrities of classical music, opera and ballet.
•The One Love Festival music event is held annually in mid-June at Istanbul's Life Park. The event features performances by moderately alternative international and local bands.
July
•Rock 'n' Cox is the largest outdoor rock festival in Turkey over two days in mid-July. It is traditionally held at Hesarfen Airfield and features acts such as Peter Gabriel, Muse, Moby, Limp Bizkit and Nine Inch Nails.
•The Istanbul International Jazz Festival is a huge event that takes place over two weeks in July each year. The festival features traditional jazz, rock, pop, blues, reggae, world classical and more. Previous performers have included Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Patti Smith and Dizzy Gillespie.
•The Bosphorus Cross Continental Swim is a July swimming event with more than 1600 participants from around the world. Marathon runners from more than 45 different countries swim across the canal from Asia to Europe while one of the world's busiest shipping lanes is temporarily closed to shipping traffic.
August
•The International Istanbul Fashion Fair, which will be held at CNR Expo, takes place at the end of August every year, with the participation of Turkish and international designers.
•International Performance Association Festival. This event brings together artists from a range of different countries along with teachers from international art schools who offer workshops and performances starting in mid-August.
•Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) is a national public holiday that takes place on August 30, 1922, to commemorate the victory over the invading Greek army during the War of Independence. Military parades are held in major cities throughout the country, including Istanbul.
September
•The International Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition held at the Istanbul Art and Culture Center that focuses on a current political or philosophical theme. It is held every two years beginning in September. The next Istanbul Biennial will be held in 2017, featuring artists selected from over 45 countries.
•Sahar Pir (Sheker Bayram) is a three-day religious holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. Starting at noon on the eve of the holiday, many establishments close for three and a half days. While museums and archaeological sites are closed on the first day, they usually open on the second and third days. Most shops and malls are open, with the exception of the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. The holiday includes various traditions, including children going door to door wishing people a happy Bayram.
•The Folklore Festival takes place across the strait in Izmir in the first half of September every year. It showcases the ancient culture of local folk dance.
October
•The International Jazz Festival lasts for two weeks in the second half of October. During the off-season, ticket prices are much lower than during the summer music events.
•The Blues Festival takes place over two days at the end of October.
•Republic Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the proclamation of the Turkish Republic on October 29, 1923.
November
•Ataturk Memorial Day is celebrated on November 10, the anniversary of the death of the father and founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Various events in the form of speeches, exhibitions and memorial concerts are held on this day.
•The International Istanbul Book Fair is a nine-day event held in mid-November at the Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Center, showcasing prominent writers, editors, readers, poets, scholars and intellectuals in a celebration of the impact of the written word.
December
•Rumi Festival is held from early to mid-December in honor of the Islamic poet and mystic philosopher Meylana Jelaleddin Rumi.
•Christmas markets. Western influence in Turkey is strong, so Christmas markets have become commonplace here. In recent years, the markets have started selling more traditional European goods that were rarely seen before. in Turkeyto meet the needs of foreign visitors. You will definitely find things like mulled wine right next to the baklava stands in Istanbul.
•The Christmas festival takes place in late November or early December each year. During the event, the streets are decorated, caroling takes place, and gifts are given to children.
