5th International Shakespeare Festival in Türkiye

9–26 May 2025

We are thrilled to announce the 5th International Shakespeare Festival in Türkiye, taking place from 9 to 26 May 2025 — set to be the largest and most internationally diverse Shakespearean event ever held in the country.

This year, we’ve expanded the festival’s scope significantly in response to past audience feedback. Our 2025 edition proudly features a broad array of international productions and artistic collaborations that celebrate Shakespeare’s global legacy.

Festival Highlights

• May 9: Opening Ceremony
• May 10–11: Stories from the Ney (Reed) (Neyden Hikayeler) – Turkish State Theatres, Ankara
• May 12–13: Much Ado About Nothing – Turkish State Theatres, Diyarbakır
• May 15: Master Shakespeare – Boğaziçi Performing Arts Society (BGST)
• May 16: Juliet and Romeo (in English) – Muğla Menteşe City Theatre
• May 17: Hamlet, Happy End (in Persian with English subtitles) – Carbon Theatre Company, Iran
• May 18: The Shakespeare Play – Ankara Social Sciences University
• May 19–20: Othello – Turkish State Theatres, Bursa
• May 21: Open-Air Cinema Screening by TRT: Female Hamlet (İntikam Meleği)
• May 22–23: The Taming of the Shrew – Turkish State Theatres, İstanbul
• May 23: 5th International Conference on English Language, Literature & Linguistics, featuring:
  • Prof. Sarah Knight (University of Leicester, UK)
  • Prof. Phil Shaw (University of Leicester, UK)
  • Prof. Evrim Doğan Adanur (Fenerbahçe University, Türkiye)
  • Prof. Murat Öğütcü (Adıyaman University, Türkiye)
  • Pre-recorded keynote by Prof. Stanley Wells & Paul Edmondson (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, UK)
  • Elizabethan-inspired fashion show
• May 24: Macbeth – DepoArt
• May 25: A Winter’s Tale (in English) – St. Petersburg Bryantsev Youth Theater (TYUZ), Russia
• May 26: Hamlet (in English) – imPerfect Dancers Company, Italy

From organisers:

A Truly Global Celebration of Shakespeare

This year’s festival showcases performances in English, Persian, and Turkish, with participants from Italy, Iran, the UK, and more. It reflects not only the universal appeal of Shakespeare’s works but also the collaborative spirit of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network.

We especially recommend attending between 16–26 May, when the schedule is rich in international performances—from Iran to Northern Cyprus. Of course, we would be delighted to welcome you for the entire festival.

With your continued support, we aim to grow this vibrant celebration into an even more influential platform in the global Shakespeare community.