Bukhara to Host First International Art Biennale and Silk & Spices Festival

Bukhara, The Gulf Observer: This autumn, the historic city of Bukhara will host the inaugural International Biennale of Contemporary Art, a major cultural event anticipated to attract over 500,000 tourists from around the world. Running from September 5 to November 20, the biennale will showcase the works of contemporary artists from various countries, placing Bukhara on the global map of modern artistic expression.

The biennale will be followed by another major cultural celebration: the traditional Silk and Spices Festival, scheduled for June 6 to 8, 2025. This vibrant event, which celebrates Bukhara’s rich cultural heritage and trading history, will gather around one thousand entrepreneurs, including craftsmen, artisans, and traders, and is expected to further boost tourism to the region.

“Recently, more and more foreign tourists have been visiting Bukhara,” said Rauf Avezov, Director of the Bukhara Regional Branch of the State Philharmonic of Uzbekistan. “Several new projects will be presented as part of the cultural program for guests. In particular, a theatrical performance titled ‘Melody of Love’ is planned, reflecting national traditions, cultural features, and the uniqueness of Uzbek music and dance art.”

Director Ravshan Rasulov added that the performance is a direct result of state-led initiatives aimed at promoting Uzbek culture internationally. “To ensure the performance is understandable to foreign guests, we prepared it in the pantomime format, where artistic images are created through facial expressions, gestures, and body movements, without using words. I believe we have succeeded in this.”

With these upcoming events, Bukhara continues to reinforce its status as a hub of cultural tourism and a beacon of Uzbekistan’s artistic renaissance.