The world's largest aviation, space and technology festival, which will be held for the 15th time this year and has hosted approximately 12 million visitors so far, opened its doors to visitors tomorrow at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport under the name of TEKNOFEST Southeast.
TEKNOFEST, one of Turkey's largest technology, aviation and space organizations, will be held in 2026, centered in Southeastern Anatolia. While the main event point of the festival is Şanlıurfa GAP Airport, the organization will be held between 30 September and 4 October 2026.
Established on an area of approximately 191 thousand square meters, the festival offers a wide program for five days, from technology competitions to air shows, from science workshops to exhibitions, and from experience areas to stage events. More than 1 million visitors are expected to come to the organization.
The main executors of TEKNOFEST Southeast are T3 Foundation and the Ministry of Industry and Technology. Within the scope of the festival, many institutions and companies from Turkey's defense, aviation, space and civil technology ecosystem also take part with their stands.
Preparations have been completed in Şanlıurfa for TEKNOFEST
For TEKNOFEST Southeast, not only the installation of the festival area but also the infrastructure works to accommodate hundreds of thousands of visitors have been completed at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport. While the tents, stands, exhibition and experience areas in the festival area were being prepared, special plans were made on topics such as transportation, traffic, security, health, water and sewerage. Şanlıurfa Governorship announced that the preparations in the festival area have been completed and the organization is ready for visitors.
One of the important parts of the festival infrastructure was the water and sewage system. While a new water line was installed by ŞUSKİ from a distance of approximately 7.5 kilometers to the festival area, an infrastructure with a capacity to meet the needs of 350 thousand people per day was created. Within the scope of transportation and area regulations, asphalting work was carried out in an area of approximately 136 thousand square meters in coordination with the General Directorate of Highways.
In addition, preparations were made in the festival area on topics such as landscaping, landscaping, parking, lighting and visitor security. Transportation and traffic management was one of the most important preparation topics of the organization, especially since GAP Airport will host a high density of visitors throughout the festival.
A comprehensive transportation and accommodation plan was made throughout Şanlıurfa for the festival. While more than 1 million visitors are expected in the city, the dormitory and hostel capacity for the competitors has also been prepared according to the organization. The fact that Harran University's academic year will start after the festival was considered as one of the factors that will create additional capacity for the accommodation of the competitors.
The festival is expected to bring significant dynamism to the city's economy and tourism. Visitors coming to Şanlıurfa will not only see the festival area; While it is expected to visit historical and cultural points such as Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran and Balıklıgöl, the city's gastronomy and music culture is also planned to be highlighted during the festival.
What awaits visitors at TEKNOFEST Southeast?
TEKNOFEST Southeast will not only be an organization where technology competitions and air shows are held. The festival area will also include simulations, planetarium, science shows, workshops, exhibitions, experience areas and stage events where visitors can experience different technology areas. In the official program of TEKNOFEST, it is stated that these areas are prepared for different age groups.
One of the highlights of the festival will be the Göbeklitepe Experience Area. This area, where Şanlıurfa's world-class archaeological heritage meets the technology festival, was designed as one of the sections that brings together the historical identity of the city with the technology and innovation theme of TEKNOFEST.
Visitors will also be able to encounter space and astronomy themed content in the Planetarium section. Different experiences regarding aviation technologies will be offered in sections such as Hezarfen Experience Area and HÜRJET Experience Area. The experience areas included in the festival program include the Journey of the Material, Champions Parade and Steel Dome Digital Experience Area.
Special exhibition zones have also been created in the festival area for visitors interested in defense technologies. ASELSAN Land Vehicles Exhibition Area and Land Forces Land Vehicles Exhibition Area will allow close examination of different land platforms. In the Steel Dome Digital Experience Area, it is aimed to convey technologies related to air defense architecture to visitors in a more interactive format.
Practical activities for children and young people will also be an important part of the program. While T3 Science Street aims to enable visitors to directly interact with technology with science and engineering themed workshops, applied sections such as HÜRKUŞ Mini Flight Area will offer aviation experience, especially to young visitors. The general program of the festival also includes science workshops and various applied activities.
At TEKNOFEST Southeast, technology and defense industry will meet visitors not only in closed exhibition areas but also on open platforms. Platforms such as KAAN, Bayraktar KIZILELMA, Bayraktar TB3, HÜRJET, Bayraktar AKINCI, Bayraktar TB2, ANKA, GÖKBEY and T129 ATAK, as well as various helicopters, warplanes and land vehicles will be exhibited in the festival area.
The air shows will be by far one of the most visible parts of the festival. While Bayraktar AKINCI, Bayraktar TB3, Bayraktar TB2 AI, AKSUNGUR, T-129 ATAK and T-70 will perform demonstration flights, Turkish Stars and SOLOTÜRK will also perform within the scope of the festival. S-70, CH-47 and ATAK passages, Gendarmerie Steel Wings demonstrations, parachute jumps, fastrope and commando operation demonstrations are among the activities that visitors can watch.
The experience program in the festival area will also be supported by stage events. HÜRJET and KAAN Musical, science shows, NSosyal Nod Quiz, Stage for You event and Semicenk concert are included in the program. Thus, the organization brings together science, education, entertainment and cultural events in the same area, as well as technology and defense industry-focused content.
Another feature of TEKNOFEST Southeast, hosted by Şanlıurfa, is that it brings together technology and the historical and cultural identity of the region in the same organization. Held in the city where important centers from the Neolithic period such as Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe are located, the festival exhibits Turkey's current aviation, space and defense technologies, while offering visitors the opportunity to experience Şanlıurfa's history, gastronomy and music culture.
Technology and history meet at the same festival in Şanlıurfa
Organizing TEKNOFEST Southeast in Şanlıurfa brings together the technology theme of the festival with the historical and cultural heritage of the city. Şanlıurfa, which stands out with its important points such as Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran and Balıklıgöl, will also host technology-oriented visitors within the scope of the festival.
For this reason, TEKNOFEST Southeast is not just a five-day technology event; It stands out as a comprehensive festival program that brings together technology competitions, defense and aviation exhibitions, air shows, science events and Şanlıurfa's cultural values in the same organization.
Why is TEKNOFEST Southeast important?
The 2026 organization stands out as one of the events where the regional scope of TEKNOFEST is expanded. While technology competitions are organized in 61 main and 143 sub-categories within the scope of the festival, financial support of more than 100 million TL is provided to the teams that pass the preliminary elimination, and awards of more than 75 million TL are provided to the winners.
More than 1.6 million competitors and more than 730 thousand teams from 99 countries applied to this year's technology competitions. Approximately 2 thousand teams among the applications made it to the final stage.
In Şanlıurfa, the finals of technology competitions in 14 different categories are held.
Which vehicles will be exhibited in the festival area?
Within the scope of TEKNOFEST Southeast, visitors will have the opportunity to closely examine Turkey's different defense and aviation platforms.
Among the platforms to be exhibited; Bayraktar KIZILELMA, KAAN, Bayraktar TB3, HÜRJET, Bayraktar AKINCI, Bayraktar TB2, ANKA, GÖKBEY, ATAK, K2 Kamikaze, MIZRAK, MOSQUITO, AS 532, T-38, Bell 429, AB 412, SH-70 Seahawk, F-16, CN-235 CASA, F-4, P-72 It is located.
These exhibition areas include not only aircraft, but also land platforms and different defense technologies used by the Land Forces and ASELSAN.
What areas of experience do TEKNOFEST Southeast have?
There are many sections in the festival area where visitors can experience technology and defense systems interactively.
Prominent areas of experience and activity are as follows:
Parade of Champions
planetarium
Göbeklitepe Experience Area
Journey of the Material Field of Experience
Area 26 – Experience Exhibition
Hezarfen Experience Area
HÜRKUŞ Mini Flight Area
Steel Dome Digital Experience Zone
ASELSAN Land Vehicles Exhibition Area
Land Forces Land Vehicles Exhibition Area
TUBITAK Science Centers
T3 Foundation Science Centers
T3 Science Street workshops
Agricultural Technologies Cluster activity area
TÜME Agriculture Talks
In addition, stakeholder, sponsor and participant stands and the T3 Foundation stand can be visited in the festival area.
Which vehicles will take part in the air shows?
One of the busiest parts of TEKNOFEST Southeast will be air shows.
During the program, various flights and demonstrations will be performed with Bayraktar AKINCI, Bayraktar TB3, Bayraktar TB2 AI, AKSUNGUR, T-129 ATAK, T-70, S-70, SH-70, CH-47, HÜRJET and KAAN.
In addition, Turkish Stars and SOLOTÜRK will also make demonstration flights within the scope of the festival. Different air/helicopter shows such as Gendarmerie Steel Wings, parachute jumps, fastrope shows and commando operations were also included in the program.
TEKNOFEST Southeast 2026 event calendar day by day
In the official calendar published by TEKNOFEST, air shows and main stage events were announced on a day and time basis. The program below has been prepared based on the times in the official festival calendar.
Wednesday, September 30
The events that will take place on Wednesday, September 30 are as follows;
Time Activity 10.10 T-70 Parachute Jump 10.30 Bayraktar AKINCI demonstration flight 11.20 Science Show 11.25 Paramotor demonstration flight 11.50 S-70 flag salute flight 12.10 S-70 / CH-47 / ATAK passage passage 12.20 S-70 Gendarmerie Steel Wings 12.45 Bayraktar TB3 demonstration flight 12.55 SH-70 fastrope demonstration 13.25 T-129 ATAK demonstration flight 14.00 Opening ceremony 15.10 Turkish Stars demonstration flight 15.35 Baykar TB2 AI demonstration flight 15.45 S-70 / CH-47 Commando Operation 16.00 HÜRJET and KAAN musical 16.30 SOLOTÜRK demonstration flight 17.05 SH-70 parachute jump 17.25 T-70 demonstration flight 18.00 Science Show 18.00 Rafadan Crew Technological Crew 19.00 “From First Light to the Future” theater show 19.30 NSSocial Nod Quiz Competition
Thursday, October 1
The events that will take place on Thursday, October 1 are as follows;
Time Activity 10.10 T-70 Parachute Jump 10.30 S-70 / CH-47 / ATAK passage 10.40 Bayraktar TB3 demonstration flight 11.05 Paramotor demonstration flight 11.50 S-70 flag salute flight 12.00 HÜRJET and KAAN musical 12.30 2nd Army Regional Command Band Show 13.45 T-129 ATAK demonstration flight 14.00 Rafadan Crew Technological Crew 15.00 Baykar TB2 AI demonstration flight 15.35 S-70 Gendarmerie Steel Wings 16.00 Bayraktar AKINCI demonstration flight 16.30 Turkish Stars demonstration flight 17.05 SH-70 parachute jump 17.20 T-70 demonstration flight 17.30 Science Show 18.00 Social Nod Quiz Competition 19.30 Semicenk concert
Friday, October 2
The events that will take place on Friday, October 2 are as follows:
Time Activity 10.10 T-70 Parachute Jump 10.30 Bayraktar AKINCI demonstration flight 11.20 Science Show 11.30 S-70 flag salute flight 11.50 S-70 / CH-47 / ATAK passage passage 12.00 S-70 Gendarmerie Steel Wings 12.45 Bayraktar TB3 demonstration flight 12.45 SH-70 fastrope show 13.00 HÜRJET and KAAN musical 13.10 Turkish Stars demonstration flight 13.45 T-129 ATAK demonstration flight 14.15 Baykar TB2 AI demonstration flight 14.15 S-70 / CH-47 Commando Operation 14.50 SH-70 parachute jump 15.15 AKSUNGUR demonstration flight 15.45 T-70 demonstration flight 18.00 Social Nod Quiz Competition 18.45 Science Show 19.15 The stage is yours
Saturday, October 3
October 3 will be one of the busiest days of the festival program. According to the official event calendar, in addition to numerous air shows, an award ceremony will be held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The events that will take place on Saturday, October 3 are as follows;
Time Event 10.00 Science Show 10.30 HÜRJET and KAAN musical 12.30 Bayraktar AKINCI demonstration flight 12.45 AKSUNGUR demonstration flight 13.00 S-70 greeting flight 13.15 S-70 / CH-47 / ATAK passage passage 13.40 Bayraktar TB3 demonstration flight 13.40 SH-70 fastrope show 14.00 S-70 Gendarmerie Steel Wings 14.30 Turkish Stars demonstration flight 15.05 Baykar TB2 AI demonstration flight 15.05 S-70 / CH-47 Commando Operation 15.25 SH-70 parachute jump 15.40 T-70 demonstration flight 15.55 T-129 demonstration flight 16.20 SOLOTÜRK demonstration flight 16.45 Science Show 17.15 NSocial Nod Quiz Competition 18.00 Closing Ceremony and Award Ceremony with the participation of President Erdoğan
Sunday, October 4
The closing and awards program will be held on the last day of the festival.
Area Map
We also included the area map in our news to easily find TEKNOFEST events at Şanlıurfa GAP Airport.
How to get to TEKNOFEST Southeast?
The main event area of the festival is Şanlıurfa GAP Airport. Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality will increase public transportation service from the city center to GAP Airport during the festival.
The starting points determined for the festival are as follows:
Aqaba
Collection Center
Eyyübiye Hospital
Mehmet Hafiz Boulevard
osmanbey
Seyrantepe
Yenice
Bus services will be organized from these seven points to the festival area. A total of 115 vehicles will be assigned to the transportation organization, 100 of which are active buses and 15 of which are spare buses.
It is especially important to use public transportation due to the density of transportation to the festival area. Şanlıurfa Governorship also announced that necessary planning was made before the festival regarding transportation, traffic and security.
Is registration required to enter the festival area?
Participation in TEKNOFEST Southeast is free, but visitors must register online before the event.
A separate record must be created for each visitor. There is no registration requirement for children under the age of 7. In the official TEKNOFEST announcement, visitor entry and exit hours are announced as 09.00-20.00.
It is recommended that visitors complete the registration process in advance to avoid congestion when entering the festival area.
