City guideIstanbul · Sat 7 – Sun 8 November
Istanbul this weekend: Galatasaray v Amedspor and the Theatre Festival
Galatasaray against Amedspor at RAMS Park, Last Rites at the Istanbul Theatre Festival, Semiha Berksoy at Istanbul Modern, the free Mutluluk Garanti! at Taksim Sanat, Yalın at Volkswagen Arena and Burger & Lobster at Zorlu Center.
The weekend at a glance
Choose a pick to find it on the map; scroll down for the full story.
Saturday · 7 November
All weekend · Saturday and Sunday
Saturday
7 November
Sat 19:00
Match · RAMS Park, Seyrantepe
Galatasaray against Amedspor at RAMS Park
Galatasaray, top of the Süper Lig after ten rounds, host Amedspor from Diyarbakır, who were second in the table at the end of October. The 11th-round meeting of the two leading sides in Istanbul is the weekend’s biggest league match.
Kick-off is at 19:00 on Saturday at RAMS Park in Seyrantepe, Galatasaray’s home since 2011. Süper Lig tickets are sold only to holders of a Passolig card, so get one before buying.
All weekend
Saturday and Sunday
Sat 20:30 and Sun 15:001,500 TL
Theatre · Paribu Art, Kadıköy
Last Rites, a wordless play at the Istanbul Theatre Festival
Ramesh Meyyappan, a deaf actor, plays Arjun, a deaf man with twenty-four hours to arrange the funeral of a father who never learned sign language. The UK company Ad Infinitum tells it without words: mime, sign, projections and bass you feel.
Saturday at 20:30 and Sunday at 15:00, 65 minutes, ages 14 and up, with captions on the set. Tickets from 1,500 TL on Passo. Marmaray and the metrobus stop at Söğütlüçeşme, 150 metres away.
Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:001,000 TL, 600 TL residents
Exhibition · Karaköy
Semiha Berksoy at Istanbul Modern
Semiha Berksoy (1910–2004) sang opera, acted, wrote and painted, and appeared in Istanbul Streets, Türkiye’s first sound film. Aria of All Colors gathers more than 200 works, from early drawings and opera paintings to self-portraits and large paintings on sheets.
Two weekends remain: it closes on 22 November. Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, last entry half an hour before closing. Tickets are 1,000 TL, or 600 TL for residents of Türkiye; under-12s go free.
Sat and SunFree
Exhibition · Taksim metro station
Mutluluk Garanti!, a free exhibition at Taksim Sanat
Taksim Sanat, the municipality’s public gallery, opened Mutluluk Garanti! (Happiness Guaranteed!) on 4 November: 38 paintings, photographs and sculptures by 24 artists, Ardan Özmenoğlu among them, on happiness, dreams, consumer culture and the promises behind shiny images.
Marcus Graf curated it for Kültür AŞ. The gallery is on level -1 of the Taksim metro station entrance, under the square; admission is free and the show runs until 10 January.
Sat 21:00 and Sun 21:00
Concert · Volkswagen Arena, Maslak
Yalın at Volkswagen Arena
The pop singer Yalın brings Bir Büyülü Gece (A Magical Night), the show he has taken to Efes, London and Paris, back for its third and final season: three nights in a row at Volkswagen Arena, with a new stage and set list.
Saturday and Sunday both start at 21:00. Friday and Saturday are sold out; Sunday tickets are on Biletix, Passo and Bubilet.
Sat and Sun
Restaurant · Zorlu Center, Beşiktaş
Burger & Lobster, the London restaurant, at Zorlu Center
Burger & Lobster, founded in London, opened its first restaurant in Türkiye at Zorlu Center in September. The menu is built on burgers and whole lobsters, and Istanbul adds Lobster Escargot, Lobster Croquettes, Octopus Provençal and an Istanbul Burger.
To try the best-known dishes together, order the plate of a burger, a whole lobster and the lobster roll. Book through the restaurant’s website; Zorlu Center is a short walk from the Zincirlikuyu metrobus stop.
Saturday
Sat 19:00
Galatasaray against Amedspor at RAMS Park
Galatasaray, top of the Süper Lig after ten rounds, host Amedspor from Diyarbakır, who were second in the table at the end of October. The 11th-round meeting of the two leading sides in Istanbul is the weekend’s biggest league match.
Kick-off is at 19:00 on Saturday at RAMS Park in Seyrantepe, Galatasaray’s home since 2011. Süper Lig tickets are sold only to holders of a Passolig card, so get one before buying.
Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex RAMS Park All weekend
Sat 20:30 and Sun 15:00
Last Rites, a wordless play at the Istanbul Theatre Festival
Ramesh Meyyappan, a deaf actor, plays Arjun, a deaf man with twenty-four hours to arrange the funeral of a father who never learned sign language. The UK company Ad Infinitum tells it without words: mime, sign, projections and bass you feel.
Saturday at 20:30 and Sunday at 15:00, 65 minutes, ages 14 and up, with captions on the set. Tickets from 1,500 TL on Passo. Marmaray and the metrobus stop at Söğütlüçeşme, 150 metres away.
Paribu Art Sat and Sun, 10:00–18:00
Semiha Berksoy at Istanbul Modern
Semiha Berksoy (1910–2004) sang opera, acted, wrote and painted, and appeared in Istanbul Streets, Türkiye’s first sound film. Aria of All Colors gathers more than 200 works, from early drawings and opera paintings to self-portraits and large paintings on sheets.
Two weekends remain: it closes on 22 November. Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, last entry half an hour before closing. Tickets are 1,000 TL, or 600 TL for residents of Türkiye; under-12s go free.
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Sat and Sun
Mutluluk Garanti!, a free exhibition at Taksim Sanat
Taksim Sanat, the municipality’s public gallery, opened Mutluluk Garanti! (Happiness Guaranteed!) on 4 November: 38 paintings, photographs and sculptures by 24 artists, Ardan Özmenoğlu among them, on happiness, dreams, consumer culture and the promises behind shiny images.
Marcus Graf curated it for Kültür AŞ. The gallery is on level -1 of the Taksim metro station entrance, under the square; admission is free and the show runs until 10 January.
Taksim Sanat Galerisi Sat 21:00 and Sun 21:00
Yalın at Volkswagen Arena
The pop singer Yalın brings Bir Büyülü Gece (A Magical Night), the show he has taken to Efes, London and Paris, back for its third and final season: three nights in a row at Volkswagen Arena, with a new stage and set list.
Saturday and Sunday both start at 21:00. Friday and Saturday are sold out; Sunday tickets are on Biletix, Passo and Bubilet.
VOLKSWAGEN ARENA Sat and Sun
Burger & Lobster, the London restaurant, at Zorlu Center
Burger & Lobster, founded in London, opened its first restaurant in Türkiye at Zorlu Center in September. The menu is built on burgers and whole lobsters, and Istanbul adds Lobster Escargot, Lobster Croquettes, Octopus Provençal and an Istanbul Burger.
To try the best-known dishes together, order the plate of a burger, a whole lobster and the lobster roll. Book through the restaurant’s website; Zorlu Center is a short walk from the Zincirlikuyu metrobus stop.
Burger & Lobster