Baku to host 'Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW'

From October 31 to November 2, Baku will become the stage for an immersive, large-scale event that unites art, culture, and ecology. Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW will transform the city into a vibrant arena of creativity, dialogue, and discovery.

Organized under the auspices of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and IDEA Public Union, the three-day art festival is inspired and initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Founder of IDEA. She describes the significance of the event as follows: "Fly to Baku. Sense the NOW is a call to listen, to see, to feel and to imagine. It is a bridge - connecting memory with imagination, heritage with innovation, and hearts with hope."

The central theme explores water as a symbol of life, renewal, and sustainability, while drawing attention through the language of art to the ecological state of the world"s oceans and seas.

The festival will open on October 31 at the Heydar Aliyev Center with two landmark exhibitions:

• "My Seas, My Oceans", jointly presented by the United Nations and IDEA, featuring works by leading local and international artists dedicated to ecological responsibility and sustainability.

• An exhibition by the renowned Colombian modern artist and sculptor Fernando Botero.

The grand opening program will also feature a special immersive performance by the "Dance Ability" group, presented by Nigar Sultanova, highlighting the power of inclusivity through dance and collective creativity involving people with and without disabilities. The evening will culminate in an unforgettable concert by the legendary American singer Cheryl "Pepsii" Riley and the Interplay Jazz Group, blending R&B and jazz improvisation into a unique musical experience.

Throughout the three-day festival, some of Baku"s most iconic landmarks - the Heydar Aliyev Center, Museum of Stone Chronicles, Icherisheher, Palace of the Shirvanshahs, Seaside National Park, National Museum of Art, and several of the city"s contemporary galleries - will come alive with more than forty multidisciplinary programs encompassing visual art, performance, music, poetry, and immersive technologies.

Through its exhibitions, installations, performances, educational programs, and community initiatives, Art Weekend will celebrate both Azerbaijan"s rich cultural heritage and the dynamic pulse of its contemporary art scene.

The festival"s extensive program will include:

A special exhibition by Elvin Nabizade "The Last Wave" at the Stone Chronicle Museum;

Multidisciplinary project "The Pistachio Tree: Roots of Memory", combining literature, craftsmanship, and ecology at the Magsud Ibrahimbayov Creative Centre

The two-day literary event led by the founder and director of multidisciplinary art center "SÖZ" Nigar Hasanzade;

A two-day creative program for children aged 3 to 14, curated by Firuza Sultanzade, offering engaging and educational workshops across various art forms;

A presentation of works by the participants of the upcoming "Baku Steel Art 2025" festival.

In addition to exhibitions and performances, the festival will offer an inclusive platform featuring lectures, guided tours, environmental seminars, and studio visits. Some exhibitions included in the Art Weekend program will open as early as October 29.

The official website-set to launch soon-will feature the full program and schedule. For all inquiries and proposals, please contact [email protected], and follow updates on Instagram: @bakuartweekend.

"Fly to Baku. Art Weekend" is more than a cultural event - it is a bridge between past and future, local and international, tradition and innovation. It invites the world to discover the creative spirit of Azerbaijan in its most vivid and multifaceted form.