Türkiye Culture Route Festival’s 2026 finale opens in Adana with 252 events

The Türkiye Culture Route Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism across 26 cities, opened at the Adana Museum, its final stop of the year. Running through November 15, the festival features 252 events, from concerts at Merkez Park and the Sacred Relics of the Ottoman Empire exhibition to more than 90 culinary venues and activities for children.

The Culture Route Festival, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and touring Türkiye since April, began today in Adana, the 26th and final stop on its 2026 route. Adana Governor Mustafa Yavuz, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gökhan Yazgı, provincial officials, art enthusiasts, and the families of martyrs and veterans attended the opening ceremony at the Adana Museum. The festival will feature 252 events at 12 venues and 23 separate locations across the city from November 7 to 15.

This year’s festival journey began in Şanlıurfa on April 25 and reached Çukurova after passing through stops including Aydın, Mersin, Eskişehir, Trabzon, Bursa, Van, Konya, Erzurum, Çanakkale, Ankara, Istanbul, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Mardin, and İzmir. Since the Antalya leg runs through November 8, the two cities are hosting the festival simultaneously this weekend. Anadolu Agency reported that Adana is hosting the Culture Route Festival for the third time.

Opening ceremony highlights abundance

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Yavuz said Adana’s thousands of years of history have given every corner of the city its own story, describing “abundance” as its defining characteristic. Referring also to Orhan Kemal’s character Murtaza, Yavuz said Adana’s wealth was not limited to agriculture and that the city also stood out for the writers, poets, musicians, athletes, and artists it had produced. Recalling that the city hosts festivals throughout the year, Yavuz said, “Because the people of Adana love life,” and expressed his hope that the festival would bring new colors, sounds, and stories to the city.

Deputy Minister Yazgı drew attention to the historical heritage stretching from Taşköprü to Anavarza and the cultural richness of the Taurus Mountains. “We believe this deep-rooted heritage should not remain merely a memory of the past, but should continue to exist in everyday life through art and cultural production,” Yazgı said. After the program, Yavuz, Yazgı, and the accompanying delegation toured the exhibitions at the Adana Museum.

Kültür Yolu Festivali Adana açılışında protokol üyeleri şehit ve gazi aileleriyle

The Adana Museum Complex, described as Türkiye’s largest museum complex, is at the center of the festival’s exhibition program. The “Hâne” exhibition, which brings together calligraphy, illumination, ceramic calligraphy, and digital works, focuses on family and intergenerational ties. The “Sacred Relics of the Ottoman Empire” exhibition brings works selected from the collections of the Istanbul Museum of Tombs, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, and the Istanbul Archaeological Museums to Adana. The “Living Heritage: Adana” exhibition presents traditional crafts, from filigree and coppersmithing to mother-of-pearl inlay, marbling, and felt-making, through works by master artisans. The “Sunar Postcard Collection: Traces of Adana’s Industrial Heritage Found in an Attic” in the foyer of the Agricultural Museum also sheds light on the city’s industrial history.

Free concerts every evening at Merkez Park

According to the festival program, free concerts at the Merkez Park stage begin at 9 p.m. every evening. Sagopa Kajmer will perform on the opening night, followed by Ahmet Şafak on November 8, Sefo on November 9, Serkan Kaya on November 11, Simge on November 12, Ebru Yaşar on November 13, and Demet Akalın on November 14. Murat Boz will give the festival’s closing concert on November 15.

On November 10, the anniversary of the death of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Merkez Park will host a special symphonic concert titled “Songs and Arias Loved by Atatürk.” The Çukurova State Symphony Orchestra will perform under conductor Eray İnal, with Murat Karahan and Feryal Türkoğlu as soloists. Songs loved by Atatürk, Anatolian folk songs, and opera arias will be performed in symphonic arrangements.

The play “Spring in January” will be staged at the Ramazanoğlu Cultural Center, while Çukurova University will host the concert “Following the Poets, Walking the Lovers’ Road, Opera in Anatolia.” For children, the Yaşar Kemal Cultural Center will stage “Elsa the Children’s Musical,” “Maya the Bee,” “The Town Musicians of Bremen,” and “Lili the Little Dragon.” The children’s area at Merkez Park will feature Children’s Village activities, the ASELSAN Children’s Festival, and an Ethnosport program. The FotoMarathon at Museum Complex Square and screenings at the 22nd TÜRSAK Children’s Film Festival are also part of the program.

More than 90 culinary venues

Gastronomy is one of the highlights of the Adana leg. Yazgı described Adana cuisine, shaped by the fertile lands of Çukurova and the highland culture of the Taurus Mountains, as one of Türkiye’s most distinctive gastronomic assets. Throughout the festival, more than 90 culinary venues will offer selections from Adana’s cuisine, including the city’s registered specialties. Gastronomist Tayyar Zaimoğlu and chef Arda Türkmen will host the gastronomy program. Academic chef Asuman Kerkez, Michelin Guide-listed chefs Aleks Karaköse and Murat Deniz Temel, chefs Kaan Kayhan and Alexis Atlamazoğlu, and food writer Zeynep Kakınç will also take part as guests.

Adana kebabı, lahmacun, pide ve şişlerden oluşan bir Adana sofrası

Before the festival, Governor Yavuz told Anadolu Agency that Adana had hosted many events since March, from a theater festival and the Orange Blossom Carnival to a film festival and a food festival. “We will now conclude the year with the Culture Route Festival,” he said. Yavuz also said they expected the festival to make a significant contribution to the city’s promotion, economy, and social life.

Following the 2026 schedule’s conclusion in Adana, the Türkiye Culture Route Festival will be held next year in 32 cities, with Balıkesir, Denizli, Hatay, Kocaeli, Muğla, and Tekirdağ joining the program. Details of the Adana program are available on the festival’s official website, kulturyolufestivali.com, and its Instagram account.

Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism, AA. Photos: Ministry of Culture and Tourism