Bishkek Prepares for World Nomad Games
Kyrgyzstan has announced preparations to host the next World Nomad Games in 2026, hoping to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world.
Bishkek has officially confirmed that Kyrgyzstan will host the next World Nomad Games in 2026. Competitions in traditional sports — from kok-boru to archery — will once again return to the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul.
A return to the roots
Organisers promise an expanded programme: belt-wrestling tournaments and eagle hunting on horseback will be added to the familiar disciplines. An ethno-festival will run alongside, presenting the crafts, music and cuisine of nomadic peoples.
Authorities expect the games to become the largest tourism event of the decade and to give a boost to hotel infrastructure around Issyk-Kul.
“The Nomad Games are not sport for the sake of medals, but a way to preserve a living tradition and show it to the world,” one of the organisers noted.
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