A Grand Finale for the World’s Best Festival

The 25th International Istanbul Büyükçekmece Culture and Arts Festival concluded with a grand finale, highlighted by spectacular stage performances and the excitement of the International Altınköprü Folk Dance Competition.

For the ninth consecutive time, the International Istanbul Büyükçekmece Culture and Arts Festival was named “The World’s Best Culture and Arts Festival” by international ranking organizations. This year, the festival lived up to its esteemed reputation with a series of distinguished events.

1200 Cultural and Artistic Ambassadors Participated from 75 Countries

With participation from 1200 cultural and artistic ambassadors from 75 countries, the festival held between July 24 and August 3 attracted significant interest from Istanbul residents. The festival, organized in collaboration with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Büyükçekmece Municipality, hosted numerous international events, including the International Sculpture Symposium, the International Güler Ertan Photography Competition, the International Altınköprü Folk Dance Competition, the International Handicrafts Workshop, the International Children’s Handicrafts Workshop, and the International Puppet Workshop. The festival’s excitement peaked with popular concerts featuring artists Fatih Erkoç, Emre Aydın, and Işın Karaca.

Spain Takes First Place!

On the final day of the festival, the colorful and magnificent stage shows stole the show during the finale night. The special performance by the Altınköprü Folk Dance Ensemble was met with a prolonged standing ovation from thousands of art enthusiasts filling the Kemal Sunal Amphitheater. The closing night also featured the awards ceremony for the International Altınköprü Folk Dance Competition. The awards were presented to the folk dance groups from competing countries, based on evaluations by an international panel of judges. Spain won first place, Hungary second, and Bulgaria third. This year, in memory of Metin Uca, who presented the 24th International Istanbul Büyükçekmece Culture and Arts Festival and passed away shortly afterward, a special mention award was given. The award went to Indonesia. The folk dance groups, performing popular Turkish songs with their country flags on stage, received prolonged applause from the amphitheater’s thousands of attendees.

We are Determined to Contribute to the Culture and Arts Scene

In his closing speech, Büyükçekmece Mayor Dr. Hasan Akgün expressed gratitude to all the participating countries, contributors to the festival, and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, stating, “We are determined to continue contributing, even if just a drop, to the culture and arts life of our city, our Istanbul, our country, and our world.”