54. Istanbul Music Festival

The Istanbul Music Festival is considered Turkey's most prestigious and established classical music event. Throughout its history of 50 years, it has played a major role in building up an appreciation for classical music in Istanbul and Turkey. Acclaimed nationally and internationally for its creative programs and innovative structure, the festival strives to create opportunities for artists to share their inspiration and artistic experience and contribute to the enrichment of the national and international classical music repertoire through its commissions.

The festival's next edition will be held between 11-25 June 2026 in Istanbul, Türkiye, with the theme of Impermanence. Impermanence is the essence of life — everything changes, and nothing lasts forever. Music embodies this truth: each performance exists only once, never to be repeated in the same way. The 54th Istanbul Music Festival will celebrate this transience, exploring the contrast between the timelessness of art and the fleeting nature of human life. Though composers may be gone, their works continue to breathe through us.The program will heighten our awareness of time and the present moment — through minimalist repetitions, the spontaneity of improvisation, reflective nature walks, and encounters with music that mirrors life’s cycles. Classical and sacred works will remind us of mortality and the search for inner peace, while cross-cultural projects will reveal the beauty of brief yet powerful connections.