Istanbul Biennial 2027: Dates, Feshane Venue and an Art Trip Plan

The 19th Istanbul Biennial runs from 18 September to 14 November 2027, with LIU Ding and Carol Yinghua LU as curators and Artİstanbul Feshane on the Golden Horn in Eyüp as its main venue. The organiser, the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), has not yet published the full list of venues or artists, so the details below cover what is confirmed, how to reach Feshane, which galleries and museums to add, and how to build a two-day art trip around it. For the days in between, our private Istanbul tour with a licensed guide starts from $199 per group and can be planned around the exhibitions.

The 19th Istanbul Biennial at a glance

LIU Ding is an artist and curator based in Beijing. Carol Yinghua LU is an art historian and curator who directs the Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum and was previously artistic director and senior curator of OCAT Shenzhen. Their open call invites artists in every discipline to submit projects that reflect on war and peace, which gives a first indication of the edition's direction.

The previous edition did not follow its original plan. The 18th Istanbul Biennial opened its first leg from 20 September to 23 November 2025 across eight venues. When its curator, Christine Tohmé, stepped down for personal reasons, İKSV ended the programme after that first leg, cancelling the planned 2026 academic programme and a second exhibition in 2027. The 19th edition is therefore a fresh start, not a continuation.

Artİstanbul Feshane: the main venue

Feshane-i Âmire was one of the first Ottoman industrial sites. Founded in Kadırga in 1827, it moved to Eyüp in 1833 and produced textiles, including the fez that formed part of the army uniform, which gave the building its name. It was repaired and remodelled after fires in 1866 and 1949. The Heritage Department of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB Miras) restored it, and it reopened in 2023 as Artİstanbul Feshane, a public venue for exhibitions, events and a library.

For visitors, three things matter:

• It is large. The main hall is a long industrial space, so allow at least two to three hours if the biennial uses all of it.
• It is out of the centre. Eyüp lies at the inner end of the Golden Horn, well beyond the Old City walls. Budget travel time.
• The area rewards a longer stay. Eyüp Sultan Mosque, one of the most visited places of pilgrimage in Istanbul, and Pierre Loti Hill with its cable car and views down the Golden Horn are close by. Our Pierre Loti Hill and Eyüp Sultan Mosque guide covers both.

Getting to Feshane

From Sultanahmet, Karaköy or Beyoğlu, Eyüp is a drive along the Golden Horn shore road. Outside rush hours, a car takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes from the centre; in the evening rush it can take much longer.

• By ferry. The Golden Horn (Haliç) ferry line calls at Eyüp, and the ride up the inlet is a sight in itself. Check the timetable on the Şehir Hatları website, because sailings are less frequent than on the Bosphorus routes.
• By bus or taxi. City buses follow the shore road from Eminönü; a taxi is simplest for groups of two to four.
• By private car. For a day that combines Feshane with Balat, Fener and the galleries of Beyoğlu, a car with a driver saves the most time. Our Istanbul private car with driver page explains the arrangement.

On the way, stop in Balat and Fener, the old Greek and Jewish quarters on the Golden Horn with their coloured houses, churches and cafés. Our things to do in Balat page has a walking route.

Galleries and museums to add

Biennial weeks are the busiest of the year for Istanbul's galleries, and many time openings to coincide with the first days. These permanent venues are worth adding to any art trip.

Istanbul Modern opens from 10:00 to 18:00 on most days and until 20:00 on Friday. The Pera Museum opens from 10:00 to 19:00 from Tuesday to Saturday, until 22:00 on Friday and from 12:00 to 18:00 on Sunday. Both SALT buildings open from 11:00 to 19:00 from Tuesday to Saturday and 11:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, and close on the first two days of each Eid.

Notice the pattern: almost everything closes on Monday. Keep Monday for the historic sights, which follow a different schedule, and use Tuesday to Sunday for art. Our pages on Istanbul Modern and the Pera Museum describe the collections.

Galata and Karaköy also hold most of the city's commercial galleries, many in old bank and warehouse buildings between the Galata Bridge and Tophane. See our things to do in Galata and Karaköy walking route.

A two-day art itinerary

Day one: Golden Horn and Feshane.

• Morning: Balat and Fener on foot, with a stop at the Bulgarian St Stephen Church and the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.
• Midday: lunch in Balat, then on to Eyüp.
• Afternoon: the biennial at Artİstanbul Feshane, two to three hours.
• Late afternoon: Pierre Loti Hill for the view at sunset, then back into the centre.

Day two: Karaköy, Beyoğlu and the Bosphorus.

• Morning: Istanbul Modern, in the Renzo Piano building on the Karaköy waterfront.
• Midday: SALT Galata and the galleries around Bankalar Caddesi.
• Afternoon: up to Tepebaşı for the Pera Museum, then SALT Beyoğlu on İstiklal Avenue.
• Evening: dinner in Beyoğlu or a sunset boat on the Bosphorus.

If this is your first visit to Istanbul, add a third day for the Old City: Hagia Sophia, the Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern. The city's history is part of what many biennial artists respond to, so the Byzantine and Ottoman layers make the contemporary work easier to read. Our Istanbul 3-day itinerary shows how to fit them in.

When to visit during the biennial

The biennial lasts eight weeks, and the experience changes over that time.

• Opening week (from 18 September 2027). Most events, talks and gallery openings, and the most visitors. Book hotels in Karaköy, Galata and Beyoğlu early.
• Late September and October. Mild weather, lighter crowds and long enough days for the Golden Horn walk. This is the best balance for most visitors.
• November. Shorter days and a greater chance of rain, but quieter venues. The last weekend before the close on 14 November is a final chance for late visitors.

Other events share the autumn calendar. Check our Istanbul events 2027 page before you choose your weekend, because a big sports event or holiday can push up hotel prices. September also brings some of the year's most pleasant weather; see our guide to Istanbul in September and Istanbul in October.

A private art guide: what to ask for

A licensed guide is required for guided visits inside state museums and historic sites, and a good one makes a long day at several venues easier. For an art trip, ask for these when you book:

• A guide with an interest in contemporary art. Say what you want to see, so the guide can prepare. We match guides on request, subject to availability.
• A flexible plan. Biennial venues and gallery openings change, and the guide should adapt the route to the published programme.
• Transport between venues. Feshane, Karaköy and Tepebaşı are far apart on foot. A car with a driver turns the day into a sequence of visits instead of a chain of taxi rides.
• History as context. Ask the guide to link the Golden Horn's industrial past, Feshane among it, to what you are seeing.

A private guide also combines well with any guided visits the biennial itself offers once the programme is out. Our Istanbul private tour guide page explains how a private day is organised.

Tours that cover this

• Private Istanbul Tour with a Licensed Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days: from $199 per group. The base for a biennial day with a guide.
• Istanbul Private Driver Tour: Mercedes Vito for 8 Hours, 1-6 Guests: from $299 per group, for Feshane, Balat and Beyoğlu in one day.
• Yedikule Fortress, Galata & Balat Half-Day Tour in Istanbul: from $45 per person.
• Private Bosphorus Yacht Cruise in Istanbul: 2 Hours with Guide: from $600 per group, for a sunset after the galleries.

More ideas are on our Istanbul tours, luxury tours and Istanbul destination pages.

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