By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- Artİstanbul Feshane and venues across the city
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- September to November
- Dates
- Held every other year, not annually
The 19th edition, from İKSV: 18 September to 14 November 2027. Curators: LIU Ding and Carol Yinghua LU. Main venue: Artİstanbul Feshane, and further venues to be announced. The conceptual framework is due in December 2026. Free admission, opening hours and the closed day on this page are from the 18th edition in 2025 and are confirmed nearer the time.
The Istanbul Biennial is a city-wide exhibition of contemporary art, and it is free. It runs for about two months in the autumn of odd-numbered years, spread across several venues, and the next edition is centred on Artİstanbul Feshane, a restored Ottoman fez factory on the Golden Horn. At the last edition the venues closed on Mondays, so plan a Tuesday-to-Sunday visit and give the main venue a morning of its own.
What Istanbul Biennial actually is
An exhibition of contemporary art staged by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), which also runs the city’s film, music, jazz and theatre festivals. Each edition has its own curators and theme; the next is in the hands of LIU Ding and Carol Yinghua LU, an artist and an art historian who directed the Yokohama Triennale together, and part of it grows out of an open call to artists who have lived through war.
Its main venue has a history of its own. Feshane-i Âmire is a landmark of early Ottoman industry, a factory that made textiles and the fez for army uniforms; the city’s heritage department restored it, and it now serves as a public arts venue with a library.
The other venues are announced over the coming year. The last edition spread across eight venues and drew more than 600,000 visitors, and part of its programme was at Istanbul Modern, the museum on the Karaköy waterfront.
How to see it
- Start at Feshane. The main venue sits on the Golden Horn in Eyüp, away from the usual sights, so give it a morning and walk on to the Eyüp Sultan Mosque nearby afterwards.
- Then the venues in the centre. Once they are announced, group them by district to save time crossing the city.
- Take a guided tour. İKSV runs regular tours of single or several venues, and private tours can be arranged by email.
Tickets and what it costs
Entry is free. At the last edition every venue could be visited without a ticket, and İKSV credits its long-term sponsor, Koç Holding, with making that possible.
The only paid ticket covered the preview days before the public opening, when the venues open to art professionals and press, along with the opening-week events.
Official information and booking: bienal.iksv.org/en
Getting there
For Feshane, take the T5 tram from Eminönü along the Golden Horn to the Feshane stop, beside the venue. The Eyüpsultan ferry pier is next to it if you would rather come by water.
At the last edition the venues opened from 10am to 6pm every day except Monday, and stayed open on Republic Day, a national holiday.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Going on a Monday
The venues were all closed on Mondays at the last edition. Plan around it.
Assuming it is every year
It is held in odd-numbered years. In the autumns between, there is no biennial.
Skipping Feshane because it is out of the centre
It is the main venue, and the tram from Eminönü reaches it directly.
Arriving as a large group without warning
Groups over ten may wait for space, and groups over twenty were not admitted. Tell İKSV in advance.
Trying to see everything in one day
The venues are spread across the city. Two or three days, or a few half-days, suit it better.
Other Istanbul events
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Istanbul Biennial?
In the autumn of odd-numbered years, for about two months.
Is the Istanbul Biennial free?
Yes. At the last edition entry was free at every venue. A paid pass covered only the preview days and opening-week events.
Where is the Istanbul Biennial held?
Across several venues in the city. The next edition’s main venue is Artİstanbul Feshane, a restored fez factory on the Golden Horn in Eyüp; the rest are announced later.
Is the Istanbul Biennial open on Mondays?
At the last edition, no: venues opened from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
Who curates the next Istanbul Biennial?
LIU Ding and Carol Yinghua LU, an artist and an art historian who work together as a curatorial team and directed the Yokohama Triennale.
Sources
- İKSV, the main venue and open call
- İKSV, the curators
- İKSV, Artİstanbul Feshane
- İKSV, visiting the last edition
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.