IST Festival is an annual forum and trans-disciplinary festival that takes place across the city of Istanbul. Each year the festival brings together cultural luminaries from the worlds of art, music, film, fashion, literature and design together for three days of talks, panel discussions, performances, screenings and exhibitions that are free and open to the public as well as private dinners, parties, outings and festivities for participants and guests.
International participants have included Tilda Swinton, Kirsten Dunst, Terry Gilliam, Stephen Frears, Michael Stipe, Courtney Love, Zaha Hadid, Sam Taylor Wood, Gore Vidal, Haider Ackerman, Gareth Pugh, Sophie Calle, Sam Taylor Wood, Dan Colen, Ryan McGinley, Taner Ceylan and Elif Shafak.