TRT 23 April Children's Festival

TRT International 23 April Children's Festival is an international event organized annually by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) during the week of 23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day. Initiated following UNESCO's declaration of 1979 as "International Year of the Child," the event aims to bring together children from around the world in Türkiye to strengthen mutual feelings of love, respect and friendship. The festival is conducted within a program framework in which children's groups from different countries showcase their cultural performances and are formally received by state authorities.

Historical Background and Internationalization Process

The institutionalization of 23 April as a national holiday is directly linked to the founding principles and modernization process of the Republic of Türkiye. This historical process began on 23 April 1920 with the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) and the proclamation of national sovereignty. Immediately thereafter, the "Law on Designating 23 April as a National Holiday," enacted on 23 April 1921, granted this date legal status as Türkiye's first national holiday.^【1】 In the 1922 celebrations, the holiday was officially recorded in official documents as "National Sovereignty Day."^【2】

The celebration of the holiday as a "Children's Day" materialized through Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's gesture of dedicating the day to children and the activities of Himaye-i Etfal Society (Child Protection Organization), the social services institution of the era. During the National Struggle period, to reintegrate orphaned and abandoned children into society and generate income for the society, Himaye-i Etfal declared 23 April 1927 as the first "Children's Day" and included children in the celebrations. Atatürk's direct support for these celebrations—including dedicating his automobile to children and offering his patronage—firmly associated the holiday with children at the societal level.^【3】 In 1929, the celebrations were extended to a week and designated as "Children's Week."^【4】 For many years, this special day was simultaneously celebrated under the dual names "National Sovereignty" and "Children's Day" in practice. In 1981, a legal amendment formally unified them under the official name "23 April National Sovereignty and Children's Day."^【5】

The transformation of the event into an international initiative occurred following UNESCO's 1979 declaration of the year as "International Year of the Child," aimed at promoting children's rights and awareness worldwide. The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), through a comprehensive project, decided to share Türkiye's national holiday with children around the world and launched its first international festival in 1979. Türkiye, seeking to elevate this initiative to a universal scale, submitted proposals through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the United Nations General Assembly advocating for 23 April to be recognized as an official "World Children's Day." Although the UN did not adopt any formal resolution in this direction, TRT's continuous invitations and expanding participant base have led the international community and states to recognize 23 April in practice as the day of global children's gathering and the sole international children's holiday.

Participation and Organizational Scope

The participant profile and organizational structure of the TRT International 23 April Children's Festival are based on positioning children not merely as performance groups but as cultural ambassadors. Over the 47-year period from 1979 to 2026, more than 30,000 children from 120 different countries have participated in the event.

The key elements defining the operational and social scope of the organization are as follows:

• Host Country and Accommodation Model: The most distinctive feature of the festival is the "volunteer family" system. The vast majority of participating children are hosted in the homes of Turkish peers, alongside Turkish families. This practice enables guest children to directly experience Turkish family structure, traditions and daily life culture, while Turkish children develop personal friendships with peers from diverse geographical backgrounds and gain exposure to global cultures. This model transforms the festival from a mere stage event into a platform for deep cultural interaction.
• Participant Statistics: While the scale of the organization varies from year to year, it maintains its global reach. At the 45th festival in 2023, hundreds of children from 24 countries participated; by the 47th festival in 2025, this number had risen to 30 countries. The 48th festival in 2026 aims to host a total of 490 children and their accompanying guides from 27 countries, including Türkiye, in Ankara.
• Representation and Selection Process: Countries and groups invited to participate are selected by TRT; each country is represented by children's delegations specialized in dance, music or art forms reflecting their local culture. The accompanying guides are responsible for the children's safety as well as for diplomatic and cultural communication processes.

Festival Program and Traditional Activities

The TRT International 23 April Children's Festival is conducted within a comprehensive and systematic program spanning approximately one week, integrating elements of diplomacy, culture and art. Each phase of the organization aims to establish lasting bonds among children worldwide and maximize cultural exchange between the host country and participating nations.

The core components of the festival program are structured chronologically and thematically as follows:

• Opening Ceremony and Visit to Anıtkabir: The official start of the festival week is marked by a large delegation composed of the TRT General Director and children from all participating countries visiting Anıtkabir. The delegation walks along the Lion Path to lay a wreath at the mausoleum of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, observes a moment of silence, and then proceeds to the Misak-ı Milli Tower to sign the Anıtkabir Special Register.

Children from Around the World Visiting Anıtkabir Before the Festival ((Anadolu Ajansı)

• Receptions by State Authorities: Children participating in the festival are received by the highest state authorities of the Republic of Türkiye as cultural ambassadors. As part of the program, children are received successively by the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM), the TRT General Directorate and the Presidency of the Republic. The reception held at the Presidential Complex on 23 April holds symbolic importance as it formally represents children within state protocol.
• Public Gatherings and Open-Air Performances: The festival's social dimension is realized through event areas established in public parks and squares of host cities such as Ankara and Istanbul. Beginning with the "Festival Parade" (Cortege), each country's group, dressed in traditional costumes, greets the public and performs their traditional dances, music and artistic acts on designated stages. Workshops, play areas and interactive activities for children are also organized in these spaces.
• Gala Program and Media Broadcast: A central feature of the organization is the grand gala program broadcast live worldwide via TRT channels. On the gala night, children from participating countries present performances representing their nations on a professional stage, and at the conclusion of the program, all children come together to perform choreographies centered on themes of peace, brotherhood and a shared future.
• Social and Cultural Tours: Amid the intensive program schedule, various museum visits and historical and tourist excursions are organized to help children become familiar with the host city and Turkish culture. These tours serve as complementary cultural transmission tools that enhance the children's accommodation experiences with Turkish families.

Social, Cultural and Economic Impacts

The TRT International 23 April Children's Festival is regarded in academic literature as a "mega event" due to its scale and the social value it generates.^【6】 The impact of the organization is multi-layered, encompassing socialization, cultural diplomacy and regional development.

Social and Political Impacts

The festival contributes to the construction of childhood as a modern and universal concept. Children on this platform are not merely participants but are positioned as "political agents" carrying global messages of peace. The gathering of children from different nations provides a foundation for early development of multicultural awareness and the dismantling of prejudice. In particular, the inclusion of children from conflict or crisis regions (such as Palestine or earthquake-affected areas) affirms the organization's humanitarian solidarity and rehabilitative social responsibility function.

Cultural and Touristic Contributions

The cities hosting the festival—particularly Ankara and Istanbul—have become international centers of attraction. The tangible impacts of the festival on urban tourism and cultural fabric include:

• Cultural Dynamism: Local populations gain greater access to international artistic performances, strengthening societal interest in diverse cultures. This also serves as an incentive for preserving and promoting local culture.
• Service and Infrastructure Development: Improvements in transportation networks (buses, trains, etc.) and accommodation standards are observed in preparation for the festival.
• Economic Vitality: Hosting tens of thousands of visitors increases local merchants' income, generates temporary employment opportunities in the service sector and contributes to the overall economic cycle of the city.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and His Wife Emine Erdoğan with Children Coming to Türkiye for the Festival ((Anadolu Ajansı)

Institutional and Diplomatic Value

This organization, conducted by TRT, exemplifies public service broadcasting that enhances Türkiye's soft power capacity. The bonds established through the "volunteer family" model are regarded as long-term friendship investments that continue beyond the festival and strengthen international people-to-people diplomacy. TRT's continuous tradition of broadcasting and organizing this event has successfully branded 23 April as the world's sole international children's day.