World Nomad Games 2026: today’s sports, cultural and scientific events

The sixth World Nomad Games offer a packed programme of sport, culture and science on September 3. At Kyrchyn pasture, visitors can attend the “Unity Caravan” entertainment programme, ethnic music and dance performances, traditional clothing contests, and competitions to assemble or dismantle a yurt quickly.

The site also features an international Kyrgyz-Kazakh improvisational poetry contest, a historical reconstruction of ancient Kyrgyz warriors’ armor, craft workshops, concerts and an ethnographic market. Evening activities include lectures on the stars, Kyrgyz folk knowledge about celestial phenomena, the astronomical basis of the Kyrgyz calendar and telescope observations of the night sky.

At the Rukh Ordo cultural centre in Cholpon-Ata, the programme includes a traditional music festival, exhibitions, master classes, concerts, short films about the Nomad Games, an instrumental competition and performances by foreign musicians. Competitions at the Kok-Boru Arena include kokpar, er enish and kok boru.

The Dordoi-Nomad complex hosts the international Nomad Fest, ethnic dance and fashion contests, a fashion show, performances by folklore ensembles, an improvisational theatre programme and exhibitions by Kyrgyz and foreign craftspeople and artists. The Nomad Civilisation Centre will hold an international scientific conference on the heritage, paradigms and future of nomadic civilisations. Ovari, mangala and toguz korgool tournaments, along with Kyrgyz wrestling and sambo, are also scheduled.

The games opened on August 31 at Bishkek Arena and moved to Issyk-Kul region from September 1 to 6. More than 3,000 athletes from 109 countries are taking part.