Not Just Climate Talks: COP31 Turns Antalya Into a Giant Gallery

Most of the world will watch COP31 for its climate deals. But from today, 9 November, until 20 November, Antalya is also hosting one of the largest art and music programmes Türkiye has ever staged around a diplomatic summit: more than 1,000 artworks, over 50 open-air installations and free concerts in a public Green Zone of about 582,000 square metres. For tourism operators, brands, event agencies and creative companies, this is a rare moment when Türkiye’s culture is on show to tens of thousands of foreign delegates and journalists at once.

In brief

• A summit-sized gallery: the COPArt programme, themed “Hala Mümkün / Still Possible”, shows more than 1,000 artworks and 50+ outdoor installations across the COP31 site.
• Free and open to the public: the Green Zone hosts exhibitions, concerts, panels and workshops; entry is free but requires advance registration.
• Turkish masters on display: the “Altı Usta Altı İz” exhibition brings together Fahrelnissa Zeid, Burhan Doğançay, Ömer Uluç, Devrim Erbil, Mehmet Güleryüz and Haluk Akakçe.
• Concerts with corporate branding: Yalın and Ebru Yaşar perform at the Türk Telekom Grand Amphitheater; the Anadolu Ateşi dance troupe and percussionist Burhan Öçal also take part.
• Huge audience: organisers in Antalya have spoken of around 150,000 participants and more than 100 heads of state and government.

What is happening in Antalya, and why does it matter beyond climate?

COP31, the UN Climate Change Conference, runs in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026, with Türkiye hosting the conference for the first time and holding the COP Presidency. The conference site near Antalya’s EXPO area covers about 1.1 million square metres. According to Anadolu Agency figures reported by Türkiye Today, the Blue Zone for official negotiations takes 527,414 m², while the public Green Zone takes 582,244 m².

The Blue Zone is closed to anyone without UN accreditation. The Green Zone is the opposite: it is designed for the public, with exhibitions, concerts, panels and workshops, plus thematic centres such as the Türkiye Pavilion, the Science Center, Resilient Cities and a Start-up Zone where companies, universities and civil society present climate solutions. That makes it the part of COP31 where culture, business and the public actually meet.

How big is the COPArt programme?

Big enough to turn the entire summit site into an open-air and indoor museum. The Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change runs the art programme under the name COPArt. According to DHA, the project is directed and curated by Nagihan Özel, and the minister has spoken of more than 1,000 artworks.

A column in Dünya newspaper describes the idea behind the programme: turning climate indicators such as temperature rise, carbon emissions and greenhouse gas concentrations into works that make people feel the crisis rather than just read about it.

Which Turkish artists will delegates see?

A cross-section of Turkish art from the Ottoman era to today, with some works shown publicly for the first time. The headline exhibition “Altı Usta Altı İz” (“Six Masters, Six Traces”) features six major modern and contemporary names: Fahrelnissa Zeid, Burhan Doğançay, Ömer Uluç, Devrim Erbil, Mehmet Güleryüz and Haluk Akakçe. The wider selection reaches back to earlier masters such as Şeker Ahmet Paşa, Osman Hamdi Bey and İbrahim Çallı.

For international collectors and museums, this is effectively a showcase of the Turkish canon presented to an audience that rarely visits Istanbul’s galleries. Fahrelnissa Zeid and Burhan Doğançay, for example, are already established names in international collections; seeing them next to contemporary artists in a climate context positions Turkish art as part of a global conversation.

What is on stage, and who pays for it?

The live programme is free, and at least one venue carries a major Turkish brand name. Daily Sabah lists the following events in the Green Zone:

The naming of the main amphitheatre after Türk Telekom shows how Turkish corporations are using the summit for brand visibility. The largest hall in the Green Zone, named Gazze (Gaza), seats up to 5,000 people, according to Caspian Post. Next to the EXPO site, the Solak neighbourhood is being turned into a “Zero Waste Village”, complete with a graffiti mural on environmental themes.

Where do Tarkan and “Let’s COP” fit in?

Music is the campaign’s international calling card. Pop star Tarkan released “Wake Up”, an English-language version of his 2008 song “Uyan”, on 1 November; by 5 November the video had about 536,900 views on YouTube, and the song reached Apple Music on 6 November. TRBW Creative covered what Tarkan’s English single means for Antalya. The ministry also released its own English-language song, “Let’s COP”, on 23 October, with a video showing Türkiye’s landscapes and heritage; the official COP31 Türkiye account later shared a version danced by Hypers Kids Africa from Uganda.

What does COP31 mean for Antalya’s tourism and event business?

It extends Antalya’s season into November and tests the city as a venue for mega-events. In June, Ebru Şahin, project coordinator of the Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative, told members of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO) that about 150,000 participants were expected, including more than 100,000 people in the Green Zone and more than 50,000 in the Blue Zone, along with over 100 heads of state and government.

The logistics are on a similar scale. Caspian Post reports 27,957 police, gendarmerie and coast guard personnel, 630 low-emission buses supplied by 25 municipalities, and five medical stations across the site. For hotels, transfer companies, caterers and event agencies, these are November numbers Antalya normally does not see.

How can visitors attend?

Register online in advance and bring ID. Concerts and performances in the Green Zone are free, but entry requires prior registration. The Blue Zone, with the negotiations, the Anadolu plenary hall (1,794 seats) and national pavilions, is open only to UN-accredited delegates, observers and media.

Our take

For tourism businesses: COP31 gives Antalya a global stage outside its beach season. Tour operators and hotels can use the summit’s art and music programme to sell the city as a year-round cultural and congress destination, not just a summer resort.

For brands and sponsors: the Türk Telekom Grand Amphitheater shows the model — naming rights and cultural partnerships at a UN event deliver visibility to an international, decision-making audience. Expect more Turkish companies to tie their sustainability messaging to culture after COP31.

For event organisers and creative companies: producing 50+ outdoor installations, a 6,600 m² indoor exhibition and concerts within a security-heavy UN site is a reference case. Agencies that worked on COP31 will have a strong portfolio for future congresses and expos in Türkiye.

For galleries and the art market: showing Fahrelnissa Zeid, Burhan Doğançay and their peers to delegates from almost every country is soft power that can lift international interest in Turkish modern art.

FAQ

When and where is COP31?

From 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, on a site of about 1.1 million square metres near the EXPO area.

Is the Green Zone free?

Yes. Concerts, performances and exhibitions are free, but visitors must register in advance.

What is COPArt?

The art programme of COP31, run by Türkiye’s Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, with more than 1,000 artworks and 50+ outdoor installations under the theme “Still Possible”.

Which concerts are planned?

Yalın on 15 November and Ebru Yaşar on 18 November at the Türk Telekom Grand Amphitheater, plus Anadolu Ateşi on 14 November and percussionist Burhan Öçal.

How many people are expected?

Organisers in Antalya have spoken of about 150,000 participants and more than 100 heads of state and government.

Sources

• Daily Sabah: Tarkan’s climate anthem gains traction ahead of COP31 in Antalya (7 November 2026)
• DHA: COP31 alanı Türkiye’nin en büyük açık hava sahnesi olacak
• Türkiye Today / Anadolu Agency: Look at Blue Zone as COP31 prepares to open
• Caspian Post: COP31 climate summit opens in Türkiye’s Antalya
• Ekonomi Gazetesi: COP31’e 150 bin ziyaretçi bekleniyor
• Dünya: Sanat iklim krizinin sesi olacak
• COP31 Türkiye: Green Zone

This article is for information only and reflects published reports as of 9 November 2026. Programme details, dates and access rules may change; check the official COP31 website before visiting.