Festival of Oranges in Guzelyurt
The Orange Festival in the municipality of Güzelyurt is one of the largest on the northern part of the island.
The celebrations usually last several days, up to a week, and the citrus-themed installations in Güzelyurt appear well in advance of the holiday.
Orange Fest in Güzelyurt
Since 1977, the municipality of Güzelyurt has held a festival dedicated to the orange harvest. Incidentally, the Turkish name Güzelyurt means "beautiful place," and the city is surrounded by orange and grapefruit groves.
This area is known as an agricultural plain, where most of the oranges produced in Northern Cyprus are grown, so it is also called the "fruit basket" of the island.
In June or July each year (exact dates are known closer to the event), the festival begins with a traditional parade through Güzelyurt, followed by a grand opening ceremony.
Then follows a whole array of events, mostly taking place at the city's fairground (and recently in the new amphitheater building), including art exhibitions, folk dance shows, music concerts, beauty contests, lotteries, fun fairs, various tournaments, and much more for adults and children.
The entire local community participates in the festival, including schools, businesses, and dance groups. At the market stalls, visitors can buy beautiful souvenirs and crafts, sample local delicacies, and, of course, as the name suggests, this festival is a great opportunity to try the world-famous Cypriot oranges.
Orange Fest 2024 Program
In 2024, the 46th festival week will take place from June 24 to 30. Here is the festival program.
June 24
- 18:30 — festival parade from Kent Merkezi
- 20:30 — Acilis Toreni ve Gosteriler (Amphitheater)
- 21:15 — Samida concert (Amphitheater)
- 22:30 — Grup Otantik concert (Festival Square)
June 25
- 18:00 — Cocuk Senligi (Festival Park)
- 21:30 — Melis Fis concert (Amphitheater)
June 26
- 22:00 — Sumer Ezgu concert (Amphitheater)
June 27
- 20:00 — Tavla Turnuvasi (Gosteri Merkezi)
- 22:00 — Unutulmayanlar Gecesi concert (Amphitheater)
June 28
- 20:00 — Tavla Turnuvasi — final (Gosteri Merkezi)
- 21:00 — Retro Calgicilari concert (Festival Park)
- 22:30 — Arif Edizer and Ipek Amber concert (Amphitheater)
June 29
- 22:00 — Ekin Uzunlar concert (Amphitheater)
June 30
- 22:00 — Irmak Arici concert (Amphitheater)
Festival program on the Güzelyurt municipality website
Frequently Asked Questions about the Holidays in Northern Cyprus
When are the holidays in Northern Cyprus?
Despite the abundance of festivals, a few holidays are celebrated at the state level, and they are official holidays. Here is the list.
What other well-known festivals take place in Northern Cyprus?
There are quite a few to list in response to the question, so we have a special article about all the festivals in Northern Cyprus.
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Author
Born and raised in Yekaterinburg, visited more than 40 countries, lived in the USA for some time, and in 2022, moved to Northern Cyprus. Education: Ural State University (now Ural Federal University), Faculty of Political Science and Sociology. Professional Experience: Since 2008, worked in the…