The Baku International Arts Festival has been established as an important platform for international cultural exchange. The Festival will take place again this year (from 28 October to 8 November 2026) and will feature more than twenty multi-disciplinary events including music, dance, theater and film. In addition to being supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Festival will bring artists and groups from around the world including the UK, USA, France, Canada, Monaco, Israel and Azerbaijan to perform at several significant sites throughout Baku including the Heydar Aliyev Center and Icherisheher. A major part of the 2026 curatorial plan is to provide opportunities for collaboration and mentorship between emerging artists from around the globe and local artists. As such, many of the country’s leading arts organizations such as the Baku Choreography Academy, the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Baku Music Academy will be involved in some capacity in each production so that the event becomes a long-term creative endeavor and not just a short-term presentation.
The opening performance of the music portion of the program takes place on 28 October at the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijan State Academic Philharmonic Hall. This performance will celebrate the 120th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich whose music has played a large role in shaping the musical identity of the country. Under the direction of conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, pianist Lukas Geniušas and Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth will be accompanied by the Baku State Chamber Orchestra performing Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Orchestra which was first performed on that same stage by Shostakovich himself in 1934. Following that performance on 30 October, there will be a screening of William Kentridge’s multi-media project entitled “Oh To Believe in Another World” based upon Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. Also on 30 October, Farhad Badalbeyli will perform Fikret Amirov and Elmira Nazirova’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra on Arabian Themes. On 4 November, Juilliard-trained crossover violinist David Garrett will present his symphonic version of his own composition “Millennium Symphony”. Finally, on 8 November, Grammy award-winning cellist Maxim Vengerov will close out the Festival. Dance Program Regional Ties Shine Prominently Dance programming begins with Akram Khan’s Thikra: Night of Remembering choreography with visual artistry by Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan. This piece premiered in AlUla’s Wadi AlFann in 2025. English National Ballet will make its Baku debut with Masters in Motion: Forsythe/Pite. Les Ballets de Monte Carlo will present Jean-Christophe Maillot’s emotionally-charged LAC celebrating 150 years after Tchaikovsky’s original Swan Lake. Additionally, audiences will see Dmitry Krymov’s Bloody Mary from Tel Aviv’s Gesher Theatre and participate in public discussions with historian Peter Frankopan about Baku’s continued significance as a cultural crossroads.