The 14th International Aikido Festival will bring together aikido instructors and students from Turkey and abroad from 13 to 17 May 2026. Organized by the Eurasia Aikido Organization, the festival will be held in cooperation with the METU Aikido Society as part of METU’s 70th anniversary. The festival will begin at Bilkent University on 13 May and continue at the ODTÜKENT Sports Center from 14 to 17 May. This year’s festival is expected to welcome more than 300 instructors and students from Turkey and abroad, as well as the Ambassador of Japan.
The festival program will include aikido training sessions with national and international participants. The sessions will be led by Nebi Vural Sensei. The program will also feature the Dan examination, also known as the black belt examination.
Open to the public free of charge
The training sessions throughout the festival, as well as the Dan examination, will be open to all spectators free of charge. Those who would like to watch the event can visit the ODTÜKENT Sports Center and follow the festival program.
Further details about the International Aikido Festival, including the full program, can be found on the METU Aikido Society website and the International Aikido Festival website.
About the International Aikido Festival
Bringing together aikidoka from around the world since 2011, the International Aikido Festival is rooted in the vision of Ō-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, who saw true Budo as a way of building peace, and inspired by the teaching of Nobuyoshi Tamura Shihan. The festival offers aikidoka from different countries and styles the opportunity to train on the same tatami, share their practice, and experience harmony through practice.
