Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey and is popularly referred to as “the pearl of the Aegean Sea”. Izmir has a long rich history that goes back almost 3,500 years. Though it is part of Turkey and celebrates all the festivals that are normally celebrated in Turkey, Izmir also has its own festivals, namely the Izmir International Fair and the Izmir European Jazz Festival.

Izmir International Fair

Turkey is popular for its tradeshows and the Izmir International Fair is the oldest tradeshow in the country. The festival normally takes place during the last week or August or the first week of September in the huge inner-city Kulturpark. During the fair, several other festival activities take place. The festival includes various musical and cultural programs together with the main commercial fair that originally started out in order to attract people.

Izmir European Jazz Festival

This is a major cultural event that is held early in the month of March in Izmir. The festival features jazz music artists and groups from all over Turkey and Europe. The Izmir European Jazz festival was first started in 1994 by the Izmir Foundation of Culture, Arts and Education. The festival has seen popular jazz artists and groups like Karlheinz Miklin Trio, Anna Maria Castelli, Oli Bott, Jean-Francois Giansily and Lighea Trio. Today the Izmir European Jazz festival is a popular festival that attracts hundreds of jazz music lovers from all over Europe.

Izmir Alacati International Child and Youth Festival

From the 28th of June to the 3rd of July Izmir celebrates another popular festival, the Izmir Alacati International Child and Youth Festival. This festival is organized by the Municipality of Alaçatı.

Izmir Fair International Folk Dances Festival

The Izmir Fair International Folk Dance Festival was first started in Istanbul in 1989-1990. Later in 1995 Izmir held the dance festival and continued to hold the festival to educate the youth in their unique folk history. The festival showcases to the world the various folk dances that are unique in Izmir. The festival has resulted in building up a group of about 300 dancers who perform at various places. This is a good time to visit Izmir and witness these spectacular dances.

Izmir International Short Film Festival

The Izmir International Short Film Festival takes place in the month of October. The festival is a place where short films made on 16mm and 35mm video and digital format are screened. The festival also includes the “Golden Cat Award” to the best short film.