1
🎨 Art
Contemporary Istanbul — 21st Edition
Türkiye's largest contemporary art fair, 22–27 Sep at Tersane İstanbul, Golden Horn
Book / tickets →
Photo: Ben Morlok / CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What to do in Istanbul this weekend
26–27 September · both days planned, with times, prices and tickets
Researched live by an agent that reads what is actually on. Updated 2026-09-21.
Saturday
Saturday 26 September
2
📍 Spot
Karaköy Lokantası
MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant in Karaköy; lunch or meze-and-rakı dinner
Book / tickets →
3
🌿 Outdoors
Galata Tower
14th-century tower, panoramic views over the Bosphorus and Golden Horn
Book / tickets →
4
🎵 Concert
Semicenk — live at Maximum UNIQ Open Air
Saturday evening pop concert at UNIQ Açıkhava, Maslak, 21:00
Book / tickets →More that day
📍 Süleymaniye Mosque — Sinan's masterpiece: calmer than the Blue Mosque, with a garden view over the Golden Horn.
📍 Traditional hammam — Marble slab, foam massage, and a scrub that removes a layer of you.
Sunday
Sunday 27 September
1
🎨 Art
İstanbul Modern
Museum of modern & contemporary art at Galataport (open Sunday)
Book / tickets →
2
🍴 Food
Loi Bosphorus
Bosphorus-front dining and drinks at Galataport
Book / tickets →
3
🎵 Concert
Türkiye Kültür Yolu Festivali — Istanbul
Culture Route Festival opening at Galataport: free open-air concerts & exhibitions
Book / tickets →
4
🎵 Concert
Ece Seçkin — live at Paribu Vadi Açıkhava
Sunday evening pop concert at Paribu Vadi Açıkhava, 21:00
Book / tickets →More that day
📍 Hagia Sophia — Fifteen centuries of empires layered under one dome.
🧺 Grand Bazaar — Thousands of shops, dozens of streets, and tea brought to you while you haggle.
A day out of town this weekend
1
Full day
🚌 Day trip
Bosphorus cruise to the Black Sea
The long ferry up the Bosphorus to a fishing village with a hilltop castle and fried mussels.
Book / tickets →The Weekend Letter — Istanbul
Every Thursday morning — the weekend plan for Istanbul in your inbox: what is on, where to go, what it costs. Friday is for booking.
Done! First letter lands this Thursday.
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