Lake Issyk-Kul hosts Sand Art Week from 7 to 11 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 00:25 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Lake Issyk-Kul hosts Sand Art Week from 7 to 11 October 2026 at SOLEMAR and Ruh Ordo in Cholpon-Ata.
- The festival programme includes a sand art expo, master classes, a 10 October congress and the Zobel Prize ceremony on 11 October 2026.
- Lake Issyk-Kul is 180 km long and 60 km wide and forms the centre of a UNESCO biosphere reserve nominated in 2001.
- The festival moves from SOLEMAR to the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center for its congress, closing programme and final ceremony.
Lake Issyk-Kul (Ysyk-Köl) in Cholpon-Ata is hosting Sand Art Week from 7 to 11 October 2026. The programme brings an international expo, master classes, a congress and the Zobel Prize ceremony to two lakeside venues in Kyrgyzstan.
The event is being organised by the International Public Organization Academy of Sand Painting with Kyrgyz cultural, tourism and business institutions. Its schedule places the opening and early programme at SOLEMAR before the final events move to the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center.
Sand Art Week brings five programme days to Cholpon-Ata
The festival began on 7 October 2026 and runs through 11 October 2026. The official programme names live sand art performances, an international expo, master classes and a conference on the role of sand therapy in modern medicine.
The Sand Art Expo and master classes are scheduled at SOLEMAR from 7 to 9 October 2026. The conference on sand therapy is also listed for 9 October, while the First World Congress of Sand Artists is scheduled at Ruh Ordo on 10 October.
The closing programme continues on 11 October 2026 with the Zobel Prize ceremony at Ruh Ordo. The festival page says six artists selected from 30 nominees are competing for six Golden Hourglasses and a Grand Prix, with the ceremony planned as a live broadcast. The official festival programme gives the dates, venues and schedule.
Lake Issyk-Kul links the festival to a protected landscape
The lake gives the programme a setting that is both a resort area and a recognised ecological landscape. UNESCO records the Issyk-Kul biosphere reserve as having been nominated in 2001, with the lake at the centre of the central Tien Shan mountain region.
UNESCO describes the lake as 180 km long and 60 km wide, making it the second-largest high-mountain lake in the world. Its depth reaches up to 700 m, and its low salinity and warm springs mean that it does not freeze in winter.
That geography also shapes the festival layout. The early expo and teaching programme is placed at SOLEMAR on the northern shore, while the congress, closing event and prize ceremony use Ruh Ordo, an open-air cultural centre on the lakeshore. The relationship between a sand-focused programme and a large alpine lake is therefore practical as well as thematic: the first venue hosts the working sessions, while the second provides the setting for the final public-facing events.
The UNESCO biosphere reserve profile places the landscape in Kyrgyzstan and records its ecological and cultural importance.
Two Cholpon-Ata venues divide the October programme
The official schedule divides the five-day programme into two stages. SOLEMAR is listed for the opening, expo, master classes and the sand therapy conference from 7 to 9 October 2026.
Ruh Ordo takes over on 10 October 2026 for the congress and festival closing, followed by the Zobel Prize ceremony on 11 October 2026. The festival page lists both venues in Cholpon-Ata and identifies the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul as the setting.
Visiting Lake Issyk-Kul: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Sand Art Week runs from 7 to 11 October 2026. The expo and master classes are at SOLEMAR, while the congress, closing and Zobel Prize ceremony are at Ruh Ordo.
- The programme changes venue during the festival. The 11 October 2026 ceremony is listed at Ruh Ordo, and the official programme gives its scheduled start as 4pm.
- Cholpon-Ata is on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. The named venues are SOLEMAR Recreation Center and Ruh Ordo Cultural Center.
- The lake is a high-mountain landscape with a maximum recorded depth of up to 700 m. The UNESCO profile records that it remains unfrozen in winter.
- The official languages of Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz and Russian, and the national currency is the som.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Lake Issyk-Kul on social platforms
These links open searches for Lake Issyk-Kul on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Issyk-Kul
When does Sand Art Week take place at Lake Issyk-Kul?
Sand Art Week runs from 7 to 11 October 2026 in Cholpon-Ata. Its venues are SOLEMAR and the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center.
What is Lake Issyk-Kul?
It is a high-mountain lake in Kyrgyzstan and the centre of a UNESCO biosphere reserve nominated in 2001. UNESCO records it as 180 km long and 60 km wide.
Where is Lake Issyk-Kul and how do you get there?
The festival venues are in Cholpon-Ata on the lake's northern shore. The official programme identifies SOLEMAR and Ruh Ordo as the two locations for the October 2026 event.
