Bosphorus dinner cruise with show
4.8 · 73,500Nightly, about 19:30 · from $31
The most-booked night out in the city. Dinner, folk and belly dance, three hours on the water. Book it for the evening, not the views.
Events
What's on in Istanbul
Two lists. The things every visitor ends up doing, with the best-rated way to book each one. Then what is actually on this season, with dates.
Any night in Istanbul
These run every day or most days, so you do not need to plan around them. For each we link the highest-rated listing on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation until the day before on most dates.
Ad · Links in this section are affiliate links. If you book through them we get a small commission and you pay the same price. Ratings and prices as shown on 8 September 2026.
Food tour on two continents
4.9 · 1,300Daily, 5.5 hours · from $135
Twenty-plus tastings from Karaköy across the water to Kadıköy with a local guide. The fastest way to learn what to order for the rest of your stay.
Hamam in the old city
4.6 · 3,930Daily, book a slot · from $52
Scrub, foam wash and massage in a historic bath. The classic first-week reset after a long flight.
Sunset cruise on a yacht
4.9 · 3,850Daily, sunset departure · from $22
Two hours up the Bosphorus at golden hour with a live guide, on a smaller boat than the ferries. The sightseeing pick if you only do one.
Whirling dervishes at Hodjapasha
4.4 · 5,260Most evenings, 19:00 · from $32
A one-hour Mevlevi sema in a 550-year-old hamam near Sirkeci. The best-selling show ticket in Istanbul. Silent, no photos, no applause.
Mosaic lamp workshop
4.9 · 3,660Daily, 2.5 hours · from $26
Make the lamp you keep seeing in the Grand Bazaar and take it home. Near the Blue Mosque, drinks included.
Pub crawl with party bus
4.8 · 1,360Most nights, from 21:00 · from $31
Six hours across Beyoğlu with a bus between stops. The easy way to meet people your first weekend if that is your speed.
Turkish coffee and fortune-telling workshop
4.9 · 1,510Daily, afternoons · from $19
Two hours, small group, you make the coffee and someone reads your cup. Cheap, sociable, good for a slow afternoon.
Coming up
Festivals, races and one-off events with confirmed dates. Past events drop off automatically. Ticket links go to the organiser or the official seller. Where there is a bookable experience tied to the event, that comes first and is marked as an ad.
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10 Sept to 13 Sept
Kadıköy
Istanbul Coffee Festival 2026
Four-day coffee fair at Tepe Nautilus in Kadıköy with roasters, equipment brands, workshops and live music. The 12th edition, one of the two largest coffee festivals in Europe.
Tepe Nautilus · Ticketed, sold by session on Biletino
Easy afternoon on the Asian side for anyone who works from cafés. Go on a weekday session; the Saturday one is a crush.
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29 Oct
Beşiktaş
Republic Day, 29 October
National holiday marking the founding of the Republic in 1923. Parades, flags on every building, evening fireworks over the Bosphorus and a light show on the bridges.
City-wide; best views from the Bosphorus shore at Beşiktaş, Ortaköy and Üsküdar · Free
Banks, government offices and many shops close. Museums may keep holiday hours. The Bosphorus dinner cruises sell out this night, so book a week ahead if you want to watch the fireworks from the water.
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1 Nov
Üsküdar
47th Istanbul Marathon
The only marathon that crosses from Asia to Europe. 42K and 15.5K races plus a mass fun run over the bridge, Sunday 1 November 2026. Registration open.
Start at the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, Asian side · Registration fee per distance via event.spor.istanbul
Even if you do not run, the fun run over the Bosphorus Bridge is the one day a year you can walk across it. Register early; the public run fills.
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23 Sept to 27 Sept
Beyoğlu
Contemporary Istanbul 2026
The city's main contemporary art fair, 21st edition, at the Tersane shipyard complex on the Golden Horn. Around 70 galleries from two dozen countries, plus talks and a public programme.
Tersane Istanbul · Day ticket at the door or online; check the fair site
Worth it for the venue alone: a restored Ottoman shipyard on the water. Go on the Thursday or Friday afternoon; the weekend is the social crowd. Dates from partner listings, confirm on the fair's own site before travelling for it.
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26 Sept to 11 Oct
Beyoğlu
36th Akbank Jazz Festival
Two weeks of jazz across clubs, museums and concert halls on both sides of the city. Line-up includes Joe Armon-Jones, Sarathy Korwar and Momoko Gill.
Multiple venues incl. Salon İKSV, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Nardis Jazz Club, Yeldeğirmeni Sanat · Per concert, from Passo and Akbank Sanat
The club dates at Nardis and Yeldeğirmeni are the ones to book; small rooms, cheap tickets, and you meet people. Big-hall shows sell out early.
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9 Oct to 18 Oct
Beyoğlu
Filmekimi 2026
İKSV's autumn film week: the year's Cannes, Venice and Berlin prize-winners screened in Istanbul cinemas with English subtitles, 9 to 18 October.
Cinemas in Beyoğlu, Kadıköy and Nişantaşı · Per screening via Passo; general sale from 2 October 10:30
The best-value cinema of the year and almost everything has English subtitles. Popular titles sell out within an hour of general sale, so be on Passo at 10:30 on 2 October.
Every week or month
Recurring meetups run by local organisers. Confirm the next date on the organiser's page before you set off.
Most Wednesdays or Fridays · 19:00-21:30
Smileys Language Exchange · weekly
Weekly Turkish-English language swap meetup in Beyoğlu / Kadıköy cafés. Beginner-friendly, ~50 attendees per session, free.
Rotates · usually Cihangir or Moda cafés · Free (buy your own coffee/drink)
Organiser page →Every Saturday · 18:00 onwards
Smileys Saturday Picnics · weekly
Weekly outdoor social meetup for digital nomads, expats, and travelers in Istanbul. Casual seaside hangout in Moda Park, Kadıköy. ~3,300-member community.
Moda Sahil Parkı · Free (bring your own snacks/drinks)
Organiser page →1-2 Saturdays a month · 18:30–20:30 (sunset window)
Smileys Sunset Sailing · monthly
Sunset sailing trip on the Marmara Sea departing from Kalamış Marina. Limited to 8 spots, hosted by Smileys Community. ~$40 USD per person.
Kalamış Marina · 1,200 TRY (~$40 USD)
Organiser page →Last Thursday of the month · 18:30–21:00 (varies)
Startup Grind Istanbul · monthly founder talks
Monthly fireside chats with Turkish + international founders, hosted at Kolektif House Levent or Maslak. Part of the global Startup Grind network (600+ cities).
Kolektif House Levent / Maslak · Free with RSVP (sometimes paid for special events ~$10-30)
Organiser page →Football, concerts and everything else
Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş home games, stadium concerts and most theatre are sold through Passo, which needs an account and, for football, a Passolig card that takes a few days to issue. Derby tickets sell out to members before general sale; for other fixtures, buying a week ahead is usually fine. Smaller gigs and club nights are on Biletix and Biletino.
Tickets on Passo and Biletix need a working phone number for the confirmation code, and most foreign eSIM apps are blocked here. Sort data first with the Turkey eSIM guide.
Looking for people rather than events? The community page lists the organisers. Run something we should list? Email us the public listing.
Dates checked against organiser pages on 8 September 2026. Take Off Istanbul is not listed because the organiser has not announced 2026 dates.