Bishkek, 19.07.26. /Kabar/. Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan Mirbek Mambetaliev at the 23rd meeting of SCO culture ministers presented for the first time a detailed cultural program of the VI World Nomad Games, which will be held in Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 6, 2026.
According to him, the Nomad Games have already gone beyond a sports event and become the “Olympiad of nomadic civilization”, uniting ethno-sports, ethno-culture, science and traditional knowledge.
“Nomadic culture is not a frozen past, but a living philosophy based on environmental responsibility, mobility, adaptation and openness to the world,” the minister noted, emphasizing that the Games are designed to show the connection of ancient traditions with modern global processes.
The cultural program will be presented at five venues. The main space will be the ethno-town “Universe of the Nomad. Living Heritage” in the Kyrchyn gorge, where guests will be able to get acquainted with traditional life, crafts, national cuisine, rituals and culture of nomadic peoples.
An international festival of traditional music “Heritage of Nomads” will be held on the shore of Issyk-Kul, where storytellers of epics, musicians and performers of folk songs will perform. A scientific conference dedicated to the preservation and development of traditional knowledge will also be held.
Another venue will be the “Nomad” complex, where traditional culture and modern art directions will be combined – ethno-fashion, dance, music, youth projects and ethnograffiti.
An ethno-hip-hop festival “Ethno-nomad” will be held at the hippodrome in Cholpon-Ata, which will show how traditional culture can be combined with modern musical genres.
The fifth venue is the ArtLab creative laboratory, where artists and sculptors from different countries will create works dedicated to the philosophy and heritage of nomadic civilization.
During the meeting, Mirbek Mambetaliev emphasized that participation in cultural competitions will be free, and an international jury of representatives of the art and culture sphere will evaluate the works and performances.
The head of the Ministry of Culture invited SCO countries to take an active part in the Nomad Games, noting that Kyrgyzstan seeks to create a space for international cultural dialogue where ancient heritage will receive a modern sound.
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