8th Ethnosport Culture Festival kicks off in Istanbul

The 8th Ethnosport Culture Festival, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation, began welcoming visitors on Thursday at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.

The four-day festival, running from May 21-24, began with a performance by students accompanied by the traditional Gulbank ceremony in front of the Han Tent set up at the airport grounds.

The Istanbul Historical Turkish Music Ensemble’s Mehter band also performed during the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the event, World Ethnosport Confederation President Bilal Erdogan said visitors would collectively experience the richness of traditional culture throughout the festival.

Welcoming participants, Erdogan said the program would feature various activities, including wrestling competitions and equestrian sports.

He added that children and families would have the opportunity to engage with traditional culture through the festival’s events and workshops.

“Over these four days, we will once again experience the richness of our culture together. With our children and elders, we will breathe in the spirit and atmosphere of tradition as families, and we will host guest artists, athletes and cultural figures from all around the world,” Erdogan said.

“Children coming here today will experience and feel how valuable and meaningful cultural richness truly is,” he added.

Highlighting Istanbul’s international significance, Erdogan officially opened the festival by cutting the ribbon together with children following the speeches.