2nd Türk Halk Oyunları Festivali Berlin (BTMK)

Anatolia's Dance Diversity on a Berlin Stage

Turkey is not a homogeneous country — and its dances certainly aren't. From the wedding dance Horon on the Black Sea coast to the expressive Zeybek in the Aegean region, to the fiery Halay round dances in the Southeast: Each Turkish region has its own folk dances, with its own rhythms, costumes, and stories. The Türk Halk Oyunları Festivali — the Turkish Folk Dance Festival — brings this diversity to the Berlin stage once a year. The 2nd edition will take place on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 6 PM on the ufaFabrik summer stage.

BTMK — Europe's Premier Address for Turkish Music

The organizer is BTMK (Conservatory for Turkish Music Berlin), founded in 1998 by Nuri and Halime Karademirli — the first European institution dedicated exclusively to the study and performance of Turkish music. For over 25 years, BTMK has played a central role in conveying Turkish culture in Berlin and has become a fixture in the Berlin music scene with its departments for voice, instruments, dance, theater, and composition.

ufaFabrik as a Stage

The ufaFabrik at Viktoriastraße 10-18 in Berlin-Tempelhof has been one of the city's most important alternative cultural centers for over four decades — founded in 1979 as a self-managed project on the grounds of the former UFA copying works. With its open-air summer stage, it offers the perfectly atmospheric setting for a festival that combines tradition and urban Berlin culture.

Costumes, Rhythms, Stories

The program for the 2026 edition includes performances by various dance ensembles from the Berlin and German Turkish communities. The choreographies follow the traditional patterns of the respective home regions — some pieces have been passed down in folk culture for centuries, others show contemporary interpretations of classic motifs. The traditional costumes — handmade, with traditional patterns and embroidery — are a small exhibition in themselves. The live music comes partly from BTMK musicians themselves, partly from invited guest ensembles.