Sand sculpture festival starts in Antalya

ANTALYA

The International Antalya Sand Sculpture Festival, a prominent cultural and artistic event in the southern province of Antalya, has kicked off its 2024 season at Lara Beach with a compelling theme of "Space Adventure."

This year’s edition features an impressive assembly of 200 sand sculptures crafted by 25 professional artists from around the world, utilizing 10,000 tons of river sand within an expansive 7,000-square-meter festival area.

Speaking about this year’s event schedule, festival coordinator Cem Karaca said that, unlike the customary 20-day construction period in April, this year's sculpture-making endeavors commenced on May 15, extending until the end of June to accommodate increasing visitor demand.

This adjustment ensures that attendees can witness the ongoing creation of new sculptures while exploring existing ones, fostering a dynamic and engaging experience, he added.

The festival’s thematic focus on space exploration resonates strongly with attendees, building upon the popularity of last year’s "Space Adventure" theme.

“Normally, we change our themes in certain periods. However, on the demand of visitors, we decided to continue the theme as 'Space Adventure' again,” Karaca said.

Notable attractions include a curated exhibition of spotlighting historic rockets, from the pioneering V-2 rocket of World War II to contemporary rockets like Ariane 5.

Visitors can immerse themselves in a diverse array of space-themed sculptures, ranging from renditions of cult movies like Star Wars, Stargate and Interstellar as well as their iconic figures to conceptual depictions of Mars civilization,

Beyond observation of the sculptures, the festival offers interactive experiences designed for all age groups, Karaca said.

Visitors can partake in stargazing sessions facilitated by powerful telescopes, providing fascinating views of celestial bodies.

Additionally, children are invited to unleash their creativity through hands-on sculpting workshops, where they can mold their own three-dimensional artworks using kinetic sands and modeling pencils after basic training.

At night, the festival is lit with vibrant lights and video mappings, infusing the sculptures with color.

With an average annual attendance of 100,000 visitors, the festival has emerged as a significant cultural, artistic and tourist destination in Antalya.