The International Festival was held on May 2 at the Main Campus grass field area, bringing students and visitors together for an evening of food, performances and cultural exchange. Around 30 stalls were set up as part of the cultural bazaar across the area, with participants representing different countries and communities through national dishes, clothing, music and conversation. The event drew over 1000 visitors throughout the evening, including students from Bilkent and other universities across Türkiye.
The cultural bazaar was the central attraction of the festival, as guests moved from one table to another, sampling food, asking questions and spending time with country representatives. Countries and communities represented during the event included Pakistan, Palestine, Venezuela, Iran, Ukraine, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Albania, Tanzania, Malaysia, Mali, Ethiopia, Japan, Azerbaijan, Ivory Coast, the United States, Bulgaria, China and the Global Shapers Community among others. The setup gave the grass field the feel of an open fair rather than a tightly structured stage program.
Live performances continued through the evening and drew the crowd toward the stage. As the night went on, some stalls ran out of food while the field remained active until the end of the program. The event functioned as a large campus gathering shaped mostly by the movement of visitors between the cultural bazaar, performances and conversations rather than by formal ceremony. Bilkent International House extends its warmest thanks to everyone who attended, performed and helped make this year’s festival one to remember. For highlights and behind-the-scenes moments, visit @bilkentinternational on Instagram.
