Türkiye's Anatolia Opera and Ballet Festival will return for a third edition in November, taking free performances to towns that rarely see live opera or ballet, the head of the country's state opera and ballet directorate has said.
Barış Salcan, director general and artistic director of the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet under the Culture and Tourism Ministry, told Anadolu Agency that the programme will include Midyat in Mardin province, Divriği in Sivas, Akhisar in Manisa and Kadirli in Osmaniye, along with other towns still to be named.
All performances are free and open to audiences of every age. Salcan said organizers would try to reach towns that have never hosted the festival before, while also considering a return to places such as Çemişgezek, which was on last year's route.
From Şırnak to the stage in small towns
The festival was launched in 2024 with the goal of bringing opera and ballet beyond the major cities. Its first stop was Şırnak, where a concert drew around 1,200 people. Since then, according to Salcan, interest has exceeded expectations in every province the festival has visited.
The events are designed to do more than stage performances. Audiences are introduced to opera, symphonic music, theater and other art forms, and at each stop the organizers look at students from local fine arts high schools, follow their progress and offer support where they can, with the aim of spotting young talent early.
A busy season for state stages
Salcan said the 2025-2026 season had been a busy one for the directorate, with the number of performances rising, and that he hoped to widen the outreach work in the years ahead.
The festival is part of the ministry's broader effort to make the performing arts accessible to wider audiences across Anatolia, and to promote the arts in places where state companies rarely perform. Salcan said audiences could also look forward to the new artistic season now opening on the main stages.
Sources
Photo: TobiasGr / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
