40 Artists from 20 Countries to Perform Near Turkish–Syrian Border
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN FRANCISCO / TÜRKİYE — April 17, 2026 — The Flying Carpet Festival is proud to announce the full artist lineup for its 2026 edition, scheduled to take place from August 21 through September 1, 2026, near the Turkish Syrian border. As the world’s first mobile festival specifically designed for children living in conflict zones, Flying Carpet 2026 will convene a diverse collective of 40 artists from 20 countries, reinforcing its mission to create a vibrant, border-crossing platform for artistic exchange, dialogue, and cross-cultural solidarity.
Founded by Iranian American composer, TED Fellow, and Aga Khan Music Award laureate, Sahba Aminikia, in collaboration with the Sirkhane Social Circus School—established by Turkish filmmaker and social entrepreneur Pinar Demiral—the festival is rooted in regions shaped by migration and shared histories. By positioning itself intentionally near geopolitical borders, Flying Carpet challenges traditional notions of center and periphery, emphasizing instead the power of collective imagination and listening. The 2026 festival continues this ethos, bringing together a prestigious group of international talents including:
Nader Adabnejad (Iran/Nertherlands), Omer Alkilani (Syria/TR), Soheila Bajelan (Iran), Darya Beliayeva (Belarus), Hans Blichert(Canada), Micaela Bottari (US), Delia Ceruti (Italy/France), Müjde Çapraz (TR), Nima Dehghani (Iran/US), Bilge Emir(TR/Germany), Farand Heydari (Iran/US), Laura Jehle(Netherlands), Ehsan Kalaki (Iran), Aaron Kierbel (US), Margherita Kessler(Italy/Spain), Berna Küpeli (TR), Roxana Isabell Küwen(Germany/Iran), Basil Ibrahim Melhim (Palestine), Özgür Mert(TR), Yvonne Melissa (Greece), Mostafa Nazmy (Egypt), Hanna Nikalayeva (Belarus), Aida Noshali (Iran), Ruadhn O Deasmhunaigh (Ireland), Tobias Pöcksteiner (Austria), Camellia Rashidi (Iran/France), Palina Rusakovich (Belarus), Shayan Shariat (Iran), Niloufar Shiri (Iran/US), Sara Shoghi(Iran/Canada), Jonathan Smith (US), Mana Tashakorinia(Iran/Finland), Yavuz Tilek (TR), Lydia Umlauf (US), Tonka Uzu(Bulgaria/UK), Chris van Meer (Netherlands), Phoebe Vlassis(Greece/US), and Torange Yeghiazarian (Iran/US).
Through a rigorous schedule of performances, workshops, and communal gatherings, these artists will work alongside local creators and children to foster artistic practices that remain deeply connected to place while remaining open to the world. Flying Carpet 2026 serves as a testament to art’s unique capacity to build connection and hope in times of division, providing a space where participants from vastly different geographies can work, think, and dream together. For more information regarding the festival’s mission and upcoming programming, please visit www.flyingcarpetfestival.org.