Kyrgyzstan is preparing to welcome more than 100,000 visitors as it hosts the VI World Nomad Games, one of the largest international events in the country’s tourism history, according to the State Agency for Tourism Development.
The Games, running from August 31 to September 6, will draw representatives from more than 110 countries, including official delegations, athletes, cultural and scientific figures, international journalists and foreign tourists.
Organizers estimate around 3,000 athletes will compete, while the ranks of official delegates – judges, cultural representatives and dignitaries – are projected to reach 4,500 to 5,000.
The scale dwarfs the inaugural 2014 Games, also held in Kyrgyzstan, when roughly 600 athletes from just 19 countries took part; meaning this year’s field of nations is nearly six times larger.
Media interest has grown alongside the athletic field. Around 1,000 journalists, bloggers and camera crews, both foreign and local, are expected to cover the event.
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Broadcast coverage will also carry an international flavor; Nomad TV’s main event coverage will be handled by a mix of well-known Russian commentators alongside experienced Kyrgyz sports broadcasters, underscoring the Games’ cross-border appeal, particularly among Russian-speaking audiences in the region.
Tourism officials expect the heaviest traffic around the ceremonies and cultural programs. Between 85,000 and 100,000 tourists and spectators are projected to attend the opening ceremony, sporting events and cultural events, with tourists arriving from China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
The World Nomad Games, launched in 2014 to showcase Central Asia’s nomadic heritage, feature sports largely unfamiliar to Western audiences – including kok-boru (a mounted contest fought over a goat carcass), horseback wrestling and traditional archery – alongside music, craft and cultural festivals.
After stints in Turkiye (2022) and Kazakhstan (2024), the event returns to its birthplace this year. The opening ceremony takes place August 31 at Bishkek Arena, with the closing ceremony set for September 6 at the Cholpon-Ata hippodrome on the shores of Issyk-Kul.
Competition venues will be split between Cholpon-Ata’s modern sports facilities and the open valleys of Kyrchyn, roughly 45 miles away, where many of the equestrian and traditional disciplines are staged.
