Türkiye's First Luxury Designer Outlet FLORENTIA VILLAGE Welcomes Its First Guests with a Spectacular Ceremony

The opening gala was attended by Istanbul Governor Davut Gül, district governors, mayors and NGO presidents, alongside leading figures from business, the arts, sport and society. Approximately 4,000 people attended.

Developed in partnership by Kalyon İnşaat and Italy's RDM-Fingen Group, Florentia Village welcomed its first guests as a new generation lifestyle destination bringing together fashion, gastronomy, culture, art and entertainment. Hosts Kalyon İnşaat Chairman Murathan Kalyoncu and RDM Italia CEO Jacopo Mazzei personally welcomed each guest.

The opening reception for Florentia Village, which aims to bring world famous luxury and premium brands together in Istanbul while serving as a gateway to the world for Turkish brands, was attended by business, arts, sport and society figures Acun Ilıcalı, Adnan Çebi, Aslıhan Doğan Turan, Aybüke Yılmaz, Banu Sağnak, Beyhan Bağış, Burak Kut, Buse Terim, Cevat Olçok, Danilo Zanna, Ebru Özdemir, Emin Günenç, Fatih Terim, Hamdi Aydın, Hande Erçel, Hande Gülşen, İbrahim Bacacı, İrfan Karakaş, Mehmet Cengiz, Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, Meriç Küçük, Murat Aksu, Murat Şeker, Muzaffer Aygün, Nail Olpak, Oğulcan Engin, Okan Buruk, Oktay Kaynarca, Ömür Gedik, Osman Müftüoğlu, Sahrap Soysal, Serap Sarı, Süleyman Orakçıoğlu, Tahir Kıran, Taner Rumeli, Tolga Güleç, Turgut Yılmaz and Yıldırım Demirören.

At the opening reception, Kalyon Holding Chairman Cemal Kalyoncu, Kalyon Vakfı President Reyhan Kalyoncu, Kalyon Holding Vice Chairman Lütfi Elvan and board members Haluk Kalyoncu, Mehmet Kalyoncu and Kübra Kalyoncu welcomed guests.

Florentia Village Becomes a Living Stage with “Worlds Intersecting”

Balich Wonder Studio, which holds a record in this field with 17 Olympic ceremonies and created the opening ceremonies for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup in 2026 alone, designed a special show spanning the entire Florentia Village site.

Created around the concept of “Worlds Intersecting,” the show brought Türkiye and Italy, East and West, and past and future together in a single story through opera, fashion, music, dance and artistic performances. It unfolded throughout Florentia Village, from its streets and squares to its gardens and main stage. Guests became part of the experience by following different routes and exploring Florentia Village, as well as watching the show.

An Ottoman Galleon Greets Guests in All Its Splendor

The show began with a welcome performance accompanied by two pianos on Florentia Village's main steps. Following the opera segment featuring Puccini's world famous arias, one of the evening's most striking moments unfolded.

A large Ottoman galleon, designed with a contemporary interpretation, appeared in the sky amid music and light displays, seeming to glide across water. Models representing passengers disembarking from the ship staged a theatrical fashion performance on the main steps, wearing costumes created specially for the opening night by 15 designers known for their bold, distinctive styles. Designs by Mahmut Danışan, DEQ, Selçuk Durdu, Tuba Ergin, Sudi Etuz, Özlem Kaya, Mysa Moon, Meltem Özbek, Belma Özdemir, Buket Özkalfalar, Souvie, Halit Tiryaki, Tuvanam and Gökhan Yavaş transformed the stage into a powerful, striking fashion narrative.

After the main stage performance, the show moved into Florentia Village's squares and gardens. Five travelers wearing costumes by Ayşe Gülru Rovelli, a costume designer with 18 years of experience in major international productions, guided guests along different routes of discovery. Along the way, guests encountered a theatrical scene inspired by the Eastern Express, a live graffiti performance dedicated to Istanbul's cats, dance performances interpreting the meeting of East and West, and illuminated garden installations. Performances across the site culminated in a grand finale at Luxury Square. At 21:00, the evening offered another surprise: Florentia Village's world famous luxury brands opened their doors to welcome their first guests.

“Florentia Village Is the Product of a Shared Dream, Belief and Strong Friendship”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kalyon İnşaat Chairman Murathan Kalyoncu and RDM Italia CEO Jacopo Mazzei shared the common vision behind this important investment and Florentia Village's international ambitions.

Kalyon İnşaat Chairman Murathan Kalyoncu said: “Florentia Village is the product of a shared dream, belief and strong friendship. When my dear business partner and valued friend, RDM Italia CEO Jacopo, and I began this journey, we had one aim: to create a truly special destination of world class quality for Istanbul. We combined Italian aesthetics with Turkish hospitality and RDM-Fingen Group's international retail expertise with Kalyon İnşaat's engineering and investment experience. We wanted our guests to experience life, explore, enjoy themselves, make happy memories and leave delighted, as well as shop. Florentia Village is also the first step in our Airport City vision, the starting point of a new economic and tourism ecosystem that will develop around Istanbul Airport. We did not want to launch such an ambitious vision with an ordinary opening. We imagined a truly special and unforgettable show that would reflect the spirit of Florentia Village. Through months of meticulous work, Balich Wonder Studio, the team behind some of the world's most important events, designed a unique experience born of Florentia Village's own spirit.”

RDM Italia CEO Jacopo Mazzei said: “Florentia Village Istanbul is the result of a journey of more than ten years to find the right opportunity, the right location and, above all, the right business partners. Istanbul is a world city with extraordinary energy and potential, bringing together Europe and Asia, different cultures and traditions. Great projects come to life through people and strong partnerships. With Kalyon İnşaat, we have created an international destination that brings Florence's spirit, elegance and commitment to quality together with Istanbul's unique character. I thank our Turkish and international teams, our partners and all the brands that believed in the project for making this vision a reality. Today marks a strong beginning, with Florentia Village set to become one of Istanbul's new meeting points for local and international visitors, as our journey continues.”

ABOUT FLORANTIA VILLAGE

EUR 250 Million Investment

Florentia Village, Türkiye's first luxury designer outlet of international standard, was developed in partnership by Kalyon İnşaat and RDM-Fingen Group with an investment of EUR 250 million. The project brought EUR 180 million in foreign funding into Türkiye.

Completed in approximately 1.5 years, the project's first phase brings together 190 stores, dining options and social spaces across 65,000 m² of leasable area.

Discussions with Marriott Group have reached the final stage for a five star hotel to be added later in the first phase. The project's concert and event center, with capacity for 20,000 people, will host performances by Turkish and international artists as well as international events.

Italian Aesthetics in Istanbul

Drawing on the Renaissance and Ancient Rome, Florentia Village was designed as an open air shopping and lifestyle destination that combines this heritage with modern Italian architecture.

Through its squares, streets, façades and open spaces, Florentia Village offers an integrated experience combining shopping, gastronomy, culture, art and entertainment.

Home to global brands including Prada, Moncler, Ferragamo, Ralph Lauren, Hugo and Boss, Florentia Village brings luxury and premium outlet stores together with full price retail in a single destination.

Ferragamo is making its first investment in a monobrand boutique in Türkiye at Florentia Village, while Nike is returning to direct investment in Türkiye at corporate headquarters level after approximately 10 years. The project offers access to international brands at average savings of 30% to 70%.

Gastronomy at the Heart of the Experience

Gastronomy is a key element of Florentia Village's destination model. It offers a broad dining mix, from casual and fine dining restaurants to Turkish cuisine, coffee spots and quick service food and drink options.

The CASA brand, developed by Doğuş Grubu for Florentia Village, welcomes visitors, while The Shelter offers a new generation food hall concept that brings different dining experiences together under one roof.

Second Phase to Bring the Total to 110,000 m²

With an additional 45,000 m² in the second phase, Florentia Village aims to reach a total leasable area of 110,000 m². At that scale, it is intended to become Europe's largest outlet center and one of the world's leading outlets.

Targeting more than 15 million visitors annually, the project is expected to provide direct employment for over 5,000 people.

Florentia Village plans to attract visitors from a broad region, particularly Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. It aims to build a strong international tourist base in its early years and increase the share of foreign visitors to more than 40% of the total in the medium term.

5 Minutes from Istanbul Airport

With its strategic location, Florentia Village aims to become one of Istanbul's new attractions. Just 5 minutes from Istanbul Airport, the destination offers access to the city center in approximately 25 minutes through the metro station at its entrance.

Easily accessible from Istanbul's European and Asian sides through major motorway connections, Florentia Village is positioning itself as a new destination that brings shopping, gastronomy, culture, art and entertainment to international visitors.