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
