Baku International Arts Festival to bring together world-class artists in Azerbaijani capital

The second Baku International Arts Festival (BIAF) will take place in Baku from October 28 to November 8, 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

The festival, held with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, encompasses dance, drama, and music events in different genres. The festival program features over 20 events, including concerts, ballet and theatre productions, film screenings, meet-the-artist sessions and masterclasses. This grand celebration of art will bring together masters of art and creative ensembles from Azerbaijan, Great Britain, Israel, Canada, Monaco, Russia, the USA, France, and various other nations.

This year’s festival places a special emphasis on collaborations between internationally renowned artists and Azerbaijani performers, ensembles, and educational institutions, including the Baku Choreography Academy, the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Baku Music Academy, the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra, and the Azerbaijan State Chamber Orchestra.

The main events of BIAF will take place at several iconic venues in Baku: The Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall, the Azerbaijan National Drama Theatre, the Azerbaijan State Musical Theatre, the Heydar Aliyev Palace, Icherisheher (Baku Old City), and others.

The festival will feature a new work by renowned, award-winning director and choreographer Akram Khan, “Thikra: Night of Remembering.” The production continues Akram Khan’s signature style—an innovative blend of classical Indian dance (kathak) and contemporary dance, featuring costume and visual design by Saudi visual artist Manal AlDowayan, known for her large-scale multimedia installation at the Saudi National Pavilion during the 60th Venice Biennale. The project received its world premiere in the desert landscape of Wadi AlFann, Valley of the Arts, AlUla, in January 2025, and was commissioned by the Royal Commission for AlUla for the AlUla Arts Festival 2025. Thikra, meaning “memory” or “recollection” in Arabic, is deeply rooted in the power of rituals. Imagined as an annual gathering, a tribe of women come together for one night only to awaken the spirits of those who came before them. Through ceremony and shared remembrance, they transcend time, uniting past and present in a profound act of renewal.

This year, the BIAF music program is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the legendary composer Dmitri Shostakovich, whose life and destiny were inextricably linked to Azerbaijan. A Soviet genius who influenced the development of the national school of composition, Shostakovich frequently visited and performed in Baku.

Among the performers is the renowned violinist and two-time Grammy Award winner Maxim Vengerov. One of today’s most sought-after violinists, he has collaborated with such legendary musicians as Mstislav Rostropovich, Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, Riccardo Chailly, Claudio Abbado, Zubin Mehta and Yehudi Menuhin, and has frequently appeared with leading orchestras at prestigious venues around the world. Vengerov has received numerous recording awards, including two Gramophone Awards, a Classical Brit Award, five Edison Classical Music Awards, two ECHO awards, and others.

BIAF audiences will also see a multimedia project by the internationally acclaimed South African artist William Kentridge, a visual interpretation of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. Kentridge created the animated film “Oh To Believe in Another World” using collage, puppets and masked actors. In it, he builds a dream-like “abandoned Soviet museum” to accompany the powerful symphony, composed in 1953—one of the composer’s most personal works. The symphony also has a special connection to Baku, as its musical themes reflect Shostakovich’s secret declaration of affection for his student, the Azerbaijani pianist and composer Elmira Nazirova. This monumental symphony will be performed by the BIAF Festival Orchestra, an ensemble of exceptional talents, conducted by the world-renowned violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, whose musical dynasty has deep roots in Baku.

In 2025, BIAF presented over 20 unique events featuring more than 100 artists from Azerbaijan, Austria, the UK, Germany, Israel, Spain, Canada, China, the USA, France, Uzbekistan, and other countries. Festival visitors had the opportunity to experience legendary works by such masters of the stage as Robert Lepage, Guillaume Côté, Sharon Eyal, Yang Liping, Rimas Tuminas, and Daniele Finzi Pasca.

Inspired by the world’s finest festival projects, BIAF is establishing a modern, international, and multi-genre cultural platform. As the host of this global platform, Baku is a dynamic, open, and tolerant city that bridges East and West—a modern global capital. Once a key stop on the famous Silk Road and historically a centre of attraction for diverse nations and beliefs, the city continues to unite cultures today while setting high standards. The opportunity to witness the best stage performances of recent years at the Baku International Arts Festival offers a wonderful reason to visit Azerbaijan and discover its rich history and diverse cultural traditions.

The detailed BIAF-2026 program and event tickets will be featured on the festival’s official website: https://www.biaf.az/

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.