Turkey Festivals and Celebrations

The short version

Two calendars. The religious holidays follow the lunar year and move earlier each year against the Gregorian one. The republican holidays are fixed, secular and taken seriously.

The two Bayrams

Ramazan Bayramı, known elsewhere as Eid al-Fitr, closes Ramadan with three days of family visiting and a great deal of sugar; it is also called the Sugar Feast for that reason. Kurban Bayramı, Eid al-Adha, comes later in the year and runs longer.

Both are national holidays and both empty the cities and fill the coast and the coach stations. Domestic transport books out, prices rise, and some family-run businesses close for the whole period. If your dates fall on a Bayram, book internal travel well ahead.

The republican holidays

23 April, National Sovereignty and Children's Day, which is dedicated to children and is genuinely charming. 19 May, Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day. 30 August, Victory Day. 29 October, Republic Day, the largest of them, with flags on every building and fireworks over the Bosphorus.

These are civic occasions with real weight. Expect parades, closed roads in the city centres and crowds.

The sema in Konya

The whirling ceremony of the Mevlevi order is a religious rite rather than a performance. The turning, the white robes and the tall felt hats all carry specific meaning, and the ceremony is a form of prayer. Konya marks the anniversary of Rumi's death in December with the Şeb-i Arûs commemoration, and that is when people travel for it.

You can see versions staged for visitors in Istanbul and Cappadocia year round. They vary from respectful to frankly commercial. If the ceremony matters to you, go to Konya.

Arts and music

Istanbul runs a full international calendar of film, music, jazz and a biennial, mostly between spring and autumn. Check what is on when your dates are fixed rather than planning around it.

One practical note

As of our review in September 2026 the FCDO records that demonstrations are taking place in Istanbul and other cities and may become violent. Large public gatherings of any kind are worth checking against the current advisory before you go. See travel safety.

See also when to go.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Turkey travel advice: the FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Turkey. Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: the inscription of the Historic Areas of Istanbul in 1985 under criteria (i)(ii)(iii)(iv). Accessed 14 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Turkey safety and security: terrorism, earthquakes and tremors, and demonstrations that may become violent. Accessed 14 September 2026.