Calendar / Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival
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Witness / Attend in Edirne
Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival
Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2027ExpectedKirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival 2027 (666th)
Organized by Edirne Municipality, which publishes the official dates and program.
Dates & details verified against: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage ↗
Why go
Kirkpinar is the world's oldest continuously running sporting competition: oil wrestling contested since the 1360s, more than 660 editions, inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage and staged by Edirne's municipality at the historic Sarayici Er Meydani since 1946. The spectacle is singular, around two tons of olive oil, leather kispet trousers, drummers and zurna players driving the bouts, and the golden belt going to the baspehlivan at the July finals. Edirne itself, the old Ottoman capital with Sinan's Selimiye Mosque, another UNESCO site, makes the trip more than the tournament. Tickets are cheap and the crowd is Turkey, not tourism.
When it runs
Held annually in late June to early July
- Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2027ExpectedKirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival 2027 (666th)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
These dates aren't confirmed yet.
Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2027 is our best read from the pattern, not an announcement. Leave your email and we'll message you the day the real dates land. One email, that's the whole deal.
What to expect
Held annually in late June to early July; the 2026 edition, the 665th, runs its finals July 3-5 after a festival week from June 29. Thracian summer heat is part of the experience. Tickets sell locally and through municipal channels; the festival week includes concerts and processions beyond the wrestling.
Getting there & around
Edirne is about 2.5 hours by road from Istanbul, near the Greek and Bulgarian borders. Day-trip from Istanbul or stay locally; book festival-week rooms ahead.
Where it happens
Edirne, Turkey.
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