2026 World Nomad Games
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 World Nomad Games,[a] officially known as the VI World Nomad Games,[b] is an international multi-sport event being held between 31 August to 6 September 2026, in two cities of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, where the opening and closing ceremonies will take place, and Cholpon-Ata, which is the main venue for the games.[1][2] It is the sixth edition of the World Nomad Games and the fourth edition to be hosted by Kyrgyzstan.
| Host city | Bishkek and Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan |
|---|---|
| Nations | 100 |
| Athletes | Over 3000 |
| Events | 43 sports |
| Opening | 31 August 2026 |
| Closing | 6 September 2026 |
| Opened by | President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov |
Background
Cholpon-Ata is a small resort town in northern Kyrgyzstan, located on the northern shore of the famous lake Issyk-Kul, which has previously hosted the World Nomad Games three times.[3]
The first games, held from 9 to 14 September 2014, brought together 583 athletes from 19 countries who competed in 10 sports.[4]
Athletes from 80 countries, including those not traditionally nomadic, took part in the second games, which took place in the same place, in Cholpon-Ata, from 3 to 8 September 2016.[5][6]
More than 1,500 athletes from 66 countries took part in the third games in September 2018, competing in 37 traditional sports.[7]
The fourth games, held from 29 September to 2 October 2022 in the Turkish city of Iznik, were the first to be held outside Kyrgyzstan.[8]
The fact that the sixth games will again be held on Kyrgyz soil became known during the closing ceremony of the fifth games, which took place from 8 to 13 September 2024, in the Kazakhstani capital, Astana,[9] although it was initially assumed that they would be held in Uzbekistan.[10]
Preparation
On 27 September 2025, the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed a decree on the creation of an organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the VI World Nomad Games in 2026.[11]
General management and coordination of work on preparations for the games is entrusted to the Presidential Executive Office, Kanybek Tumanbaev.[12]
At the first meeting, held on 2 October of the same year, the composition of the organizing committee was approved, which was tasked with developing an action plan covering organizational, protocol and other preparatory aspects.[13]
Instructions were also given to ensure security and law and order during the events, as well as to create conditions for a high level of hospitality.[13] An important aspect of the preparation was the timely construction and modernization of the necessary infrastructure for the comfortable holding of the games.[13]
147.5 million soms have been allocated for the preparation and holding of the competition.[14] Most of these funds are directed toward infrastructure development and breeding, with 32.8 million soms earmarked for the latter. Another 91.2 million will be spent on technical equipment for the game venues. The remaining 23.5 million will go toward administrative costs and staffing.[14]
The opening ceremony of the games took place at the Azattyk Arena, and the closing ceremony will take place at the Cholpon-Ata hippodrome.[15][16]
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony took place on 31 August 2026, at the Bishkek Arena stadium, which has a capacity of 51,000 seats[17][18] and coincided with the anniversary summit of the SCO.[19][20]
Participating countries
Medal table
* Host nation (Kyrgyzstan)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kazakhstan | 6 | 1 | 11 | 18 |
| 2 |  Kyrgyzstan | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 3 |  Iran | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 |  Mongolia | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 |  Pakistan | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 |  Russia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 |  Belarus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 China | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 |  Tajikistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (11 entries) | 14 | 6 | 25 | 45 | |