Dear Friends,

IST.FESTIVAL returns to Istanbul from October 10–12, 2025, marking a milestone 15th anniversary edition of the city’s platform for cultural dialogue and creative exchange.

Rooted in Istanbul, our forever inspiration and home, IST.FESTIVAL continues its legacy of uniting the most compelling voices across art, cinema, music, literature, architecture, design, photography, and fashion. This anniversary edition invites us to reflect not only on the path we’ve charted over the past decade and a half but also on the enduring relevance of cultural conversation in shaping what comes next.

With this year’s theme, “What is Really Real?”,  IST.FESTIVAL steps into the liminal space between perception and truth, asking a question as old as philosophy yet more urgent than ever. In a world increasingly mediated by digital illusions, performative social rituals, and the shifting nature of perception, the festival becomes a crucible for exploring how reality is shaped, fractured, and reimagined.

Join us for the multidisciplinary program that bridges disciplines and generations, where trailblazing creative minds come together to inspire new ways of seeing. Across three immersive days, the city becomes a stage for panels, installations, screenings, performances, and ephemeral encounters. 

For program details and further announcements, stay connected via our official channels and newsletter updates.

We look forward to welcoming you back to Istanbul for this landmark edition.

With warmest regards,

Demet Müftüoğlu-Eşeli & Alphan Eşeli
ISTANBUL’74 Co-Founders
IST.FESTIVAL Artistic Directors