BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 25. From 30 October to
1 November 2026, Baku will host the second edition of Fly to Baku.
Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW - a three-day cultural programme
bringing the city’s iconic sites as the stage for contemporary art,
cultural heritage, performance, music, education, and immersive
experiences.
The festival is held under the leadership of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation and IDEA Public Union. It was conceived by Leyla
Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder
and head of IDEA Public Union.
The central theme of Art Weekend 2026 is the natural heritage of
the Caucasus and Azerbaijan’s Big Five: the gazelle, Caucasian
leopard, brown bear, grey wolf, and imperial eagle. These five
species serve as key artistic symbols, opening up a wider
reflection on nature, cultural memory, mythology, identity, and our
responsibility to future generations. The theme is inspired by IDEA
Public Union’s Big Five of the Caucasus initiative.
Within Art Weekend, Baku itself becomes part of the artistic
experience. Moving between museums, historic sites, architectural
landmarks, galleries, and independent creative spaces, audiences
are invited to see the familiar city from a new perspective -
through art.
Over three days, iconic Baku venues - including the Heydar
Aliyev Center, Stone Chronicle Museum, Icherisheher (Old City), the
Palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Seaside National Park, the National
Art Museum and galleries across the city - will become settings for
a programme spanning visual art, performance, music, poetry and
immersive technologies.
The programme will feature projects by Azerbaijani and
international artists working across contemporary art disciplines.
Highlights include Aidan Salakhova’s multidisciplinary exhibition
exploring memory, mythology, and femininity; Michelangelo
Pistoletto’s Mirror of Eternity; Judy Chicago’s What
if Women Ruled the World, inviting reflection on society,
equality, and the future; When Nature Speaks. Heirs at the
Heydar Aliyev Center, bringing together selected Azerbaijani
contemporary artists exploring nature conservation, biodiversity,
cultural memory, and humanity’s responsibility towards future
generations; and Chinese artist Zhang Ji’s Infinite
Texture, examining infinity in architectural patterns and the
philosophical significance of repetition in contemporary abstract
art.
Another key component is the international steel sculpture
symposium Baku Steel Art 2026: The Big Five, bringing
together artists from different countries to create monumental
works inspired by the wildlife of the Caucasus. The programme will
also feature projects by Faig Ahmed, Farid Rasulov, Elvin
Nabizadeh, DanceAbility Azerbaijan, Fluxus Space, Atesh Hub, and
other artists and creative collectives.
The inaugural Art Weekend in 2025 established a new cultural
platform in Baku, welcoming 9,694 registered guests, recording more
than 29,500 visits, and presenting over 40 multidisciplinary
programmes. Across three days, contemporary art, performance,
music, literature, education, and immersive experiences reached a
broad public.
Art Weekend 2026 builds on this momentum, strengthening Baku’s
position as an international meeting point for art, culture, and
new ideas. The festival invites audiences not only to engage with
art, but also to discover the city from a fresh perspective.
Registration will be available via the festival app and official
website.
Further information: bakuartweekend.az
Instagram: @bakuartweekend
