What’s On in Fethiye

Wondering what is happening in Fethiye during your holiday? This page lists the regular weekly markets, the big yearly events and the public holidays that can change opening hours. We only list dates we have checked, and we update the page every month.

Last checked: 9 November 2026

Every week

• Tuesday: Fethiye market. The big weekly market along the canal in the town centre. Fruit and vegetables, cheese, olives, spices, clothes, bags and fabrics. Go in the morning, before the heat and the crowds. Dolmuş minibuses from Çalış, Ölüdeniz and Hisarönü stop a short walk away.
• Friday: Fethiye village market. A smaller market on the same site, mostly local produce brought in by farmers from the villages.
• Sunday: Çalış market. A smaller, calmer market on the inland side of Çalış (Günlükbaşı), popular with people who live in Çalış.
• Second-hand market (Çalış). The expat community runs a second-hand and charity market roughly every two weeks. The day changes, so check the local expat Facebook groups for the next date.
• Wednesday: Cahide pub, Çalış. An evening from 19:30 on Barış Manço Boulevard, followed by karaoke.
• Thursday and Friday: Zayra Café, Çalış. A popular evening meeting place on Yerguzlar Street. Check locally which nights it is on.
• Thursday: quiz night at Nil Bar, Çalış. A long-running English-language quiz evening, a nice way to meet people who live here.

Every year

• Ölüdeniz Air Games (October). Fethiye’s biggest festival: five days of paragliding, aerobatic displays, parachute jumps and air shows above the Blue Lagoon, organised by Fethiye Municipality. The 26th festival was held over five days in late October 2026. The dates for next year are usually announced in the summer.
• Turkish Stars over Çalış Beach (October, during the Air Games). In many years the Turkish Air Force aerobatic team, the Türk Yıldızları (Turkish Stars), flies its main display along Çalış Beach, with jets roaring low over the sea in tight formation. Find a spot on the promenade early. Whether the team comes, and the exact day and time, depends on the year’s programme, so check the Air Games schedule.
• Turtle season (May to October). Loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches of Dalyan (İztuzu) and Çalış. Nests are marked with wooden stakes. Please keep away from them and do not use torches on the beach at night.
• Summer concerts (June to September). Fethiye Municipality puts on open-air concerts in summer, by the Culture Centre on the seafront, in the town parks and sometimes in the ancient theatre of Telmessos by the harbour. The line-up mixes well-known Turkish singers with local bands and musicians. Check the municipality’s programme and posters around town.
• Summer evenings (June to September). Live music in the harbour restaurants and along Çalış promenade, with the sunset over the bay.
• New Year’s Eve. Restaurants and hotels in Fethiye, Çalış and Hisarönü hold celebrations. Book a table early.

Photos: a Fethiye local, used with permission

Public holidays in Turkey

Banks and government offices close on these days. Shops, restaurants and tourist services in Fethiye usually stay open.

• 1 January: New Year’s Day
• 23 April: National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
• 1 May: Labour Day
• 19 May: Youth and Sports Day
• 15 July: Democracy and National Unity Day
• 30 August: Victory Day
• 29 October: Republic Day, with flags, parades and fireworks

The two religious holidays, the Ramadan Feast (Ramazan Bayramı) and the Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı), follow the lunar calendar and move about 11 days earlier each year. In 2027 they fall on 9–11 March (Ramazan Bayramı) and 16–19 May (Kurban Bayramı). Please check the official calendar before you travel, as many Turkish families go on holiday at these times and hotels and buses fill up quickly.

Photo: allen watkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons