İstanbul Arıcılık ve Arı Ürünleri Festivali

The Istanbul Beekeeping and Bee Products Festival is the name of a fair-and-festival event held in Istanbul in the winter months, bringing together beekeeping equipment, queen breeders, and honey and bee products from all over Türkiye. Over the years the event has been held at different venues and under different names; in recent years Istanbul's big winter gathering has taken place at the Haliç Congress Center on the Golden Horn.

What is the Istanbul Beekeeping Festival, and who organises it?

The event known by this name is not the work of a single institution but a winter gathering that has been shaped over time by different organisers. According to the publication channel of Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the 4th Istanbul Beekeeping and Bee Products Festival ran for three days at Feshane in January 2015. The festival's own website, meanwhile, announces that the 11th Istanbul Beekeeping and Bee Products Festival was held on 4–6 February 2022 at the Yenikapı Eurasia Show and Art Centre.

In recent years the winter event in Istanbul has been better known as the Türkiye Beekeeping Fair / Festival. According to press reports, the event held at the Haliç Congress Center on 16–18 January 2026 was organised jointly by the Turkish Central Union of Beekeepers (TAB), ARMASAD (the Association of Beekeeping Equipment and Bee Products Manufacturers) and the Istanbul Provincial Beekeepers' Association; around 70 companies from Türkiye and abroad took part, and entry was free.

When and where is the festival held?

• Season: Usually January–February, when the bees are wintering and beekeepers are preparing for the season.
• Duration: Mostly three days, Friday to Sunday.
• Venue: Over the years Feshane, the Yenikapı Eurasia Show and Art Centre and, most recently, the Haliç Congress Center have been used.
• Admission: In recent announcements, visitor entry was free.

What is there at the festival?

• Equipment exhibition: Hives and frames, honey extractors (centrifuges), uncapping benches, smokers, veils and suits, feeders, pollen traps.
• Queen and package bee producers: A chance to get information directly about different races and lines.
• Honey and bee products: Pine, chestnut, flower and highland honeys; pollen, propolis, royal jelly and beeswax products.
• Symposia and presentations: At the 2026 event, a symposium on "production and quality in bee products" was held.
• Honey competition: The festival website's programme also includes a honey competition.

What should a beekeeper keep in mind when going to the festival?

1. Go with a list: Write down in advance the supplies you ran short of during the season (number of frames, foundation, treatment applicators).
2. Compare: Look at the same product at several stands; ask about details such as sheet thickness, weld quality and stainless steel certification.
3. When buying queens: Clarify whether the breeder is licensed, the race and line information, delivery time and shipping conditions.
4. For treatments and feed products: Choose only authorised products; stay away from unlabelled products making "miracle" claims.
5. Gather information: Take notes at presentations and ask association representatives about support schemes and registration procedures.

Tips for visitors buying honey

Festivals are a good opportunity to meet producers directly. Still, keep a few points in mind:

• Crystallisation is not a sign of fake honey: Many flower honeys set over time; pine honey crystallises late.
• Tasting is not enough: The authenticity of honey can only be confirmed by laboratory analysis. Choose producers who provide an analysis certificate.
• Ask about the region and plant: A producer who gives a clear answer to "In which area and in which period was it harvested?" inspires confidence.