Manisa hosts inaugural Balkan from Anatolia Culture Festival

The Manisa Metropolitan Municipality hosted the inaugural ‘Balkan from Anatolia Culture Festival’ to celebrate Balkan traditions and strengthen cultural ties. The event featured a large parade through the streets of Manisa, where thousands of participants displayed traditional Balkan clothing, flags, and music.

Following the parade, which concluded at Cumhuriyet Square, Turkish singer Candan Erçetin performed a concert for the gathered crowds. Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Besim Dutlulu attended the festivities and presented Erçetin with a traditional Demirci carpet, handcrafted by local women from Demircili, as a token of appreciation.

Mayor Dutlulu noted that the festival was organized for the first time to bring together citizens of Balkan descent and the wider Manisa community through music, tradition, and shared cultural heritage.