VI World Nomad Games · Kyrgyzstan
World Nomad Games 2026. The games come home.
After eight years abroad, the world's greatest gathering of nomadic culture returns to the valleys that created it. Eighty-nine nations. Horseback battles at full gallop, eagles called down from the ridgeline, a thousand yurts rising over the Kyrchyn gorge. This is the full story of the 2026 Games — and how to stand in the dust where it happens.
— The short version
The Olympics of the nomadic world
Every two years, the descendants of Central Asia's horse cultures gather to compete in the skills that once meant survival on the steppe. Not swimming and sprinting. But archery from a galloping horse, hunting with golden eagles, and a thundering contest fought over the body of a goat. It is part championship, part ancient festival, part living museum that breathes.
More than sport
Alongside the arenas runs an ethno-festival: felt-makers, silversmiths, throat-singers, a parade of national dress, and food cooked over open fire in a valley of yurts.
Born of necessity
Every event traces back to a real nomadic skill — riding, herding, hunting, defending. What was once daily life is now performed with fierce, ancestral pride.
A moving capital
Like the Olympics, the host changes each edition. In 2026, for the first time in eight years, it returns to where it all began.
When | Opening | Games & closing |
31 Aug – 6 Sep 2026 | Bishkek | Issyk-Kul · Cholpon-Ata |