Bands around world to perform in int'l fair in western Turkey

Dogan Isleyen, the director general of the Izmir Fair Services, Culture and Art Affairs Trade Inc, said that the city, would host not only economic delegations but also many cultural delegations.

"Bands from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, China, France, Cuba, Egypt and Slovakia are expected to give concerts and perform shows on August 20-22 on the sidelines of the festival," Isleyen told Anatolian Agency correspondent.

Izmir will host the festival for the 77th time, from August 22 to 31.

The theme of this year's festival will be global warming and climate change. Cuba will be the guest country of honor this year, and there will be beach volley tournament and yachting competition during the festival.

Folkloric dance and music bands from 17 countries from Africa to America will participate in the festival. Some 700 dancers and musicians from Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, China, Croatia, Spain, Montenegro, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Lithuania, Hungary, Puerto Rico, Romania, Senegal, Slovakia and Ukraine will perform shows in different locations around the city.

Izmir International Fair, welcoming almost 60 countries, 1000 companies and 1.5 million visitors every year, provides an environment which domestic and foreign exhibitors promote new technologies and exhibit new products and businessmen meet.

The fair also presents social, cultural events and entertainment as a whole together with its industrial and commercial dimension.

Last year, the Izmir International Fair was held between August 31 and September 10. There were 1,091 exhibitors, including 815 domestic and 276 foreign. Nearly 1.5 million people visited the fair held in area covering 72,000 square meters (775,001 square feet). Ukraine was the guest country of honor of the fair in which 59 countries participated.