23.05.2026 17:20
The 8th Ethnosport Culture Festival held at Istanbul Atatürk Airport offered visitors a culture-filled day with traditional sports shows, wrestling competitions, children's workshops, family activities, and stage performances on the first day of the weekend. The intense program continuing throughout the day will elevate the festival excitement to its peak with a Dimash concert in the evening hours.
The 8th Ethnospor Culture Festival, which opened its doors to visitors at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, brought together traditional sports, cultural heritage, and family activities in the same atmosphere on its third day. Throughout the day, the festival grounds offered a wide program ranging from equestrian sports shows to wrestling competitions, children's workshops to cultural tents, and stage performances to refreshment areas. As the weekend began, the festival attracted intense interest, with activities catering to different age groups continuing throughout the day, while world-renowned artist Dimash will take the stage in the evening program.
KOKBORU, ATLI CIRIT AND TENGE LLU TOOK BREATHS AWAY
On Saturday's program, equestrian sports shows were among the most notable highlights of the day. The events started with an Atli Cirit show, followed by traditional sports such as Audaryspak/Horse Wrestling, Tenge Ilu, Kokboru, Kushbegilik, and Tazy Dog Shows, which attracted interest from visitors. Later in the day, horse archery, acrobatics, and martial arts demonstrations provided exciting moments for the audience.
The shows performed in the equestrian sports area brought the ancient sports traditions of the Turkic world and different geographies to the festival atmosphere. A performance by the Atatürk University Atli Cirit team also featured in the program, contributing to the transmission of traditional sports culture to younger generations.
WRESTLING TRADITIONS FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS MEET ON THE SAME FIELD
Within the scope of the festival, the wrestling areas also witnessed lively moments throughout the day. At the Oil Wrestling Field, various traditional wrestling types such as Kapışmalı Aba Wrestling, Karakucak Wrestling, Aşırtmalı Aba Wrestling, Belt Wrestling, Shalvar Wrestling, Sülipats, Ripka, and Lapta were presented to the audience.
At the International and Traditional Wrestling Field, performances of Pagliacci, Zorkhana, Italian Walking Stick Fencing, Galkynysh Jigit Group, Kurash, Alysh, Chidaoba, and Lucta Italica were held. The performances of teams from different countries highlighted the intercultural meeting aspect of the festival.
CULTURE, CHAT AND ENTERTAINMENT CAME TOGETHER IN THE FAMILY TENT
The festival's programs for families were also among the highly popular events of the day. In the Family Tent, Musti Kusti, Saniye Bencik Kangal, Kemal Sayar, Sakarya Municipality Puppet Show, and Ömer Demirbağ met with visitors. The programs prepared for children and families showed that the festival is not only about sports and stage shows, but also offers an educational, cultural, and social gathering space.
YOUNG VISITORS DISCOVERED TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN WORKSHOPS
The workshops specially prepared for children at the festival grounds continued throughout the day. In the events planned for different age groups, the Wooden Bookmark Workshop, Aquarium Design Workshop, Wooden Vase Design Workshop, Canvas Painting Workshop, and Birdhouse Design Workshop were held.
The Children's Tent, children's play areas, and funfair zones were among the spots where families spent the most time during the festival. With traditional children's games and art workshops, children both had fun and had the opportunity to experience different aspects of cultural heritage.
FESTIVAL EXCITEMENT WILL PEAK WITH DIMASH CONCERT
Following the day-long equestrian sports shows, wrestling events, cultural presentations, children's programs, and stage performances, the third day of the festival will conclude with a Dimash concert. The famous Kazakh singer Dimash, who will take the stage in the evening, will provide an unforgettable musical experience for visitors filling the festival grounds.
The 8th Ethnospor Culture Festival, bringing together traditional sports, cultural values, family and children's activities under one roof, added color to the weekend in Istanbul. The festival continued to host visitors of all ages with its free events.