Baku to Host “Fly to Baku. Art Weekend” — A Celebration of Art, Culture, and Ecology
Baku, The Gulf Observer: From October 31 to November 2, the Azerbaijani capital will host Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW — an immersive, large-scale festival that unites art, culture, and ecology in a vibrant celebration of creativity, dialogue, and discovery.
Organized under the auspices of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and IDEA Public Union, the three-day event is inspired and initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Founder of IDEA.
“Fly to Baku. Sense the NOW is a call to listen, to see, to feel, and to imagine. It is a bridge — connecting memory with imagination, heritage with innovation, and hearts with hope,” Aliyeva said, describing the festival’s essence.
This year’s theme centers on water as a symbol of life, renewal, and sustainability, drawing global attention through the language of art to the ecological state of the world’s oceans and seas.
The festival will open on October 31 at the Heydar Aliyev Center with two major exhibitions:
- “My Seas, My Oceans”, jointly presented by the United Nations and IDEA, showcasing works by leading local and international artists focused on ecological awareness and sustainability;
- An exhibition by the world-renowned Colombian modern artist and sculptor Fernando Botero.
The opening ceremony will also feature an inclusive dance performance by the “Dance Ability” group, presented by Nigar Sultanova, celebrating the power of collective creativity involving people with and without disabilities. The evening will conclude with a concert by legendary American singer Cheryl “Pepsii” Riley and the Interplay Jazz Group, blending R&B and jazz improvisation.
Over three days, some of Baku’s most iconic landmarks — including the Heydar Aliyev Center, Museum of Stone Chronicles, Icherisheher, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Seaside National Park, National Museum of Art, and various contemporary galleries — will host over forty multidisciplinary programs featuring visual arts, performances, music, poetry, and immersive technologies.
Through its exhibitions, installations, performances, and community initiatives, Art Weekend aims to celebrate both Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage and the dynamic pulse of its contemporary art scene.
Highlights of the festival program include:
- “The Last Wave”, a special exhibition by Elvin Nabizade at the Museum of Stone Chronicles;
- The multidisciplinary project “The Pistachio Tree: Roots of Memory” at the Magsud Ibrahimbayov Creative Centre, merging literature, craftsmanship, and ecology;
- A two-day literary event curated by Nigar Hasanzade, founder and director of the art center “SÖZ”;
- A creative program for children aged 3 to 14, led by Firuza Sultanzade, offering engaging workshops across multiple art forms;
- A presentation of works by participants of the upcoming “Baku Steel Art 2025” festival.
In addition to exhibitions and performances, Fly to Baku. Art Weekend will feature lectures, guided tours, environmental seminars, and studio visits. Several exhibitions are set to open early, beginning October 29.
The festival’s official website, to be launched soon, will provide the full schedule and program details. For inquiries and proposals, organizers can be contacted at info@bakuartweekend.az, and updates will be available on Instagram at @bakuartweekend.
Fly to Baku. Art Weekend represents more than a cultural event — it is a bridge between past and future, local and global, tradition and innovation, inviting the world to experience the creative spirit of Azerbaijan in its most vivid and multifaceted form.
