Bukhara to Host UNESCO Creative Cities Network Conference in 2027
Uzbekistan
Bukhara will host the 19th annual conference of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in 2027. It will be the first city in Central Asia, the CIS and the Organization of Turkic States to welcome the Network’s global conference.
The initiative to hold the event in Bukhara was put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 30, 2025, at the opening of UNESCO’s 43rd General Conference in Samarkand. Holding the General Conference outside Paris for the first time in 40 years was a milestone in Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the Organization. The choice of Bukhara builds on that initiative and supports cultural dialogue.
Bukhara was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 and designated a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2023. Its traditions of gold embroidery, ceramics, jewellery and wood carving link heritage preservation with the contemporary creative economy.
The conference will coincide with the second Bukhara Biennial, scheduled for September 3 to November 21, 2027, under the artistic direction of Kulapat Yantrasast. The first biennial, held in 2025, presented more than 70 contemporary art projects and attracted over 1.8 million visitors in ten weeks. International artists and curators worked alongside local craftspeople, creating a dialogue between traditional crafts and contemporary artistic practices.
The two events will bring together representatives of creative cities, experts and cultural figures from around the world, and create opportunities for exchange and partnerships. The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) supports heritage preservation, contemporary art and the international promotion of Uzbekistan’s cultural potential.
Further details on the conference dates and programme will be announced later. Founded in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network promotes cooperation among cities that view creativity and cultural industries as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development. The Network now includes 408 cities. The annual conference can enable new exchange, cooperation and useful partnerships.
Bukhara was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 and designated a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2023. Its traditions of gold embroidery, ceramics, jewellery and wood carving link heritage preservation with the contemporary creative economy.
The conference will coincide with the second Bukhara Biennial, scheduled for September 3 to November 21, 2027, under the artistic direction of Kulapat Yantrasast. The first biennial, held in 2025, presented more than 70 contemporary art projects and attracted over 1.8 million visitors in ten weeks. International artists and curators worked alongside local craftspeople, creating a dialogue between traditional crafts and contemporary artistic practices.
The two events will bring together representatives of creative cities, experts and cultural figures from around the world, and create opportunities for exchange and partnerships. The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) supports heritage preservation, contemporary art and the international promotion of Uzbekistan’s cultural potential.
Further details on the conference dates and programme will be announced later. Founded in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network promotes cooperation among cities that view creativity and cultural industries as strategic drivers of sustainable urban development. The Network now includes 408 cities. The annual conference can enable new exchange, cooperation and useful partnerships.
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