Autumn is when the cultural season opens in Istanbul. The programme that spreads outdoors through summer moves back into halls in September; the opera, ballet and symphony season begins, galleries open new exhibitions, and festivals follow one another. The headings below are the kinds of programme that recur every autumn; for current dates you need to check the events calendar. The stage season opens The Ataturk Cultural Centre, the Sureyya Opera House and the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall open their seasons in late September. Opera and ballet tickets go on sale as soon as the programme is announced and popular performances sell out fast. CRR's orchestral concerts and chamber music series are usually more affordable and carry student discounts. The three halls do not duplicate one another's programmes, so it is worth checking all three. Galleries and museums turn over to new exhibitions Summer exhibitions close in mid-September and the autumn ones open. Istanbul Modern, the Pera Museum, SALT Galata and the Sakip Sabanci Museum start their new period in these months. Large exhibitions draw weekend queues; buying tickets in advance and choosing a weekday morning makes it easier. Most museums are closed on Mondays. A new period at Taksim Sanat Taksim Sanat, run by IBB Kultur AS, works through the season with changing exhibitions and workshops. Exhibitions aimed at making young artists' work visible in public space open here, and workshops for children and adults are prepared in response to them. Entry is free and the programme is followed through the calendar. A concert in the Serefiye Cistern The acoustics of this sixteen-hundred-year-old cistern are used for concerts, and the Sounds from the Deep series brings different kinds of music into the space. Listening to a concert underground among stone columns is an experience found nowhere else in the city. Capacity is limited so tickets should be bought early, and as the cistern is cool you need an extra layer even in summer. The open-air programme continues before it turns cold September and early October are still suitable for the open air. The Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre gives the season's last concerts in these months. Miniaturk's summer cinema programme continues into September and children aged fifteen and under can attend screenings free. A cultural voyage on the Bosphorus Istanbul Arasi combines a ferry journey from Kabatas pier with music, theatre and guided narration. In autumn the deck is still usable on clear days and the light is softer than in summer. Places are limited and the programme is announced through the calendar. Free admission for young people Istanbul residents aged twenty-four and under can attend concerts and events free through the Koltuk Senin application. Allocations renew with the start of the season, and applications must be made before the event. Book season and author meetings Autumn is the busiest period of the publishing calendar. The Reader and Writer Meetings held in Istanbul Kitapcisi branches bring authors together with readers; attendance is usually free with limited places. Campaigns on new releases run in the same period. Not tulips but leaves If April is tulip season, November is leaf season. Yildiz Park, Emirgan Grove and the Belgrade Forest are the three places where the colour shows best. On weekdays they are close to empty, and morning and late afternoon light is best for photographs.

What Is On, Istanbul in Autumn