Boysun Bahori
Traditional and popular parties · Boysun, Uzbekistan
The festival
At the foot of Baysuntau Mountains in southern Uzbekistan, Boysun celebrates spring — it is the meaning of "Boysun Bahori". The international folklore festival is a cultural space that UNESCO proclaimed an masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage in 2001: ritual songs, epics, dances and traditions that predate Islam, passed on to villages for centuries.
A yurt city hosts competitions of folk groups, crafts, cooking and traditional games like kurash and kupkari. The 2024 edition was held from May 1 to 7, in the biennale: a mountain festival where folklore is not a decor, but a way of living.
Good to know
Existence and periodicity verified: Embassy of Uzbekistan in Malaysia (official source, open and read) — International Festival of Folklore Boysun Bahori, held from 1 to 7 May 2024, "held biennially" in Boysun District, Sourkhandaria Region; official portal Uzbekistan Travel (open and read) — edition 7-8 May (2022), city of yurts, international contest of folk groups, Kurash and kupkari, organized by the Ministries of Culture and Tourism. The cultural space of Boysun district is listed by UNESCO (proclaimed 2001, representative list 2008), open and read UNESCO page. No 2027 edition announced (biennial: next expected in 2026 according to the 2024 rhythm, not officially confirmed for 2027): keeping in "Ordinary period" April–May. "Bahari" means "spring".