British Turkish Cypriot Erol Alkan has been making waves in his many creative guises, whether it be DJ, producer, label owner, club promoter, radio host or collaborator. In a career spanning decades, Alkan’s history as a champion of alternative and electronic music culture, reads “almost like mythology”. He is the shy boy who snuck out […]
This Sunday, North London will see one of its largest community events take place as the Turkish Cypriots from across the capital and beyond come together for a one-day cultural festival at Enfield Playing Fields on Donkey Lane. Around 25,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which will include live music, folk dancing, DJs, […]
Now in its 34th year, the Day-Mer Culture & Arts Festival brings together a myriad of social, political and cultural flavours for its annual flagship event in North London that celebrates and unites the UK’s growing Turkish and Kurdish communities. Istanbul born, Germany resident Turkish singer Zeynep Bakşi Karatağ headlines this year’s festival that takes […]
Festival fever is hotting up and it’s not just because of rising weather temperatures in London. After a four-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, The Mid Summer Ball is back with two big events on the same day. A total of 19 artists will be performing everything from Garage to House, Soul, Funk, Rap, […]
Luton’s Turkish community launched their inaugural cultural festival back in 2017, but due to the pandemic and then the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen, the event hasn’t happened for the last three years. It’s back bigger and better this year, showcasing the cultural richness of Turkiye, its traditions and history in what promises to […]
Turkish festivals generally mean plenty of great food and culture that’s fun for all ages, which is why thousands now flock to the West London Turkish Festival, which annually takes place in July. First launched in 2016, the Feltham-based one-day event has gotten bigger with each passing year. Around 10,000 people from diverse backgrounds attended […]
Merve Dizdar made history in Cannes at the weekend after she was named Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Turkish actress to win the award. She won the prize for her role as Nuray, a teacher in a remote village who has to deal with male harassment at her school, in […]
Organisers of the British Turkish Cypriot community’s second big festival return to an in-person format for the fifth edition of their Turkish Cypriot Culture and Arts Festival and this year they are holding the event indoors. Dominion Theatre in Wood Green, North London, is hosting the all-day event that takes place on the last Sunday […]
Tickets for Turkish indie music star Gaye Su Akyol’s upcoming concert at Kings Place are selling fast. Part of the week-long Songlines Encounters Festival international soundscape, the performance will be the singer-songwriter’s first UK concert after releasing her unforgettable new album Anadolu Ejderi (Anatolian Dragon) late last year. The Istanbul-based artist let rip on the […]
I attended the Mayor of London’s annual Eid in the Square celebration in Trafalgar Square last weekend. It was a joyous riot of colour and noise, and the delicious smells lingering around from the edge towards thousands of people watching the activities on the main stage. The moon was visible overhead in the clear blue […]
