WOW Istanbul

A group of smiling people exits a building, with a woman in front giving two thumbs up.

WOW Istanbul first joined the global movement in 2020, participating in WOW Global 24, a 24-hour online festival connecting audiences across every time zone. In the same year, the British Council introduced Festival Arena, a special WOW-themed radio show on Açık Radio, building anticipation and sharing women’s voices with listeners across the country.

In March 2021, WOW Istanbul launched its first full digital edition with the theme “Seeing the City through Women’s Gaze.” Across three days, the festival presented music, performance, talks and debates, giving voice to women from all over Turkey and ensuring accessibility through free, open digital platforms. It reached 3 million viewers from 81 cities in Turkey and eight other countries, becoming a milestone for feminist cultural exchange in the digital space.

Building on this momentum, WOW Istanbul transitioned to in-person festivals from 2022 onwards, beginning with at Müze Gazhane in partnership with Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. From 2022–2024, WOW Istanbul welcomed 10,000 attendees in person and reached an extraordinary 15 million people through media and press coverage. The programme included talks, workshops, mentoring, food, music, movement and performance – staples of WOW’s distinctive methodology – while showcasing creatives and activists from across Turkey’s cultural and civic sectors.

Image gallery

  • A woman in a wheelchair pets a guide dog, surrounded by smiling people in a bright room with plants.
  • A woman performs passionately on stage, holding a microphone and wearing a vibrant dress. Musicians play instruments in the background. A festival banner hangs above.
  • A diverse audience sits in a theatre with red seats, engaged in a presentation. A smiling woman raises her hand
  • A group of young individuals standing confidently with crossed arms in front of a large, colourful "WOW Dünya Kadınlar Festivali İstanbul" banner

WOW Istanbul has collaborated with more than 50 creative communities and NGOs through its Civil Place strand, offering a platform for grassroots initiatives and non-governmental organisations to share their work. Accessibility has been at the heart of the festival, with partnerships including Erişilebilir Herşey (Accessible Everything) ensuring that every audience member can take part fully.

Partners have played a crucial role in the festival’s success, including The WOW Foundation, British Council, Sabancı Foundation, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Müze Gazhane, Beykoz Kundura, IKSV Alt Kat, Pozitif, Kreşendo, and the British Embassy Turkey. Together they have created a festival that is deeply local yet globally connected; WOW Istanbul is rooted in Turkish cultural identity and part of an international movement for change.

WOW Istanbul continues to stand as a joyful, urgent and celebratory space for reflection, action and solidarity. It shows how art, culture and dialogue can challenge inequality, amplify women’s voices, and imagine a more equitable future – one conversation, performance, and gathering at a time.