Kyrgyzstan Welcomes People for Cultural and Music Festival

The inaugural World Festival of Traditional Culture and Music “Rukh Sanat” will be held from August 1 to 3, 2025, at the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center on the shores of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul.

The event will feature participants from 37 countries and is positioned to become a major global platform for the celebration and preservation of traditional music, The Caspian Post reports per Kyrgyz media.

At a press conference, Mirbek Mambetaliev, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy, emphasized that the festival will be held under the patronage of President Sadyr Japarov and will serve as a key cultural diplomacy event, fostering cross-cultural understanding and dialogue.

One of the festival’s central highlights will be an international competition for professional musicians who specialize in oral traditions and vocal-instrumental performance. The total prize pool is set at 3 million Kyrgyz soms ($34,305).

Kyrgyzstan will be represented by celebrated ensembles, as well as solo artists.

The festival will also host an international scholarly congress titled “Traditional Culture and Art: Challenges of Preservation and Development”, where experts will explore the role of traditional music in intercultural exchange, the growth of ethno-tourism, and the creation of research platforms in the arts.

Additionally, attendees can visit a vibrant marketplace, showcasing handcrafted musical instruments, folk art, and modern innovations in ethno-musicology.

Each evening, visitors can enjoy free live concerts by traditional music performers from across the globe. Organizers hope the event will strengthen international cultural ties while showcasing Kyrgyzstan’s rich heritage.