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AzerNEWS Staff

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The Gabala International Music Festival has been featured in a new Euronews reportage highlighting the event’s evolution from a music festival into a broader platform for art, cultural exchange and international collaboration.

The reportage, published by Euronews on August 11, focuses on the festival’s 15th anniversary and its expanding programme, which brings together music, visual art and performers from different cultural backgrounds.

In the reportage, Gabala was presented as a meeting point where artists can not only perform but also exchange ideas, collaborate and share their cultural traditions with international audiences, AzerNEWS reports.

A key focus of the reportage is the launch of Gabala Fest, an expanded cultural format that goes beyond the festival’s traditional concert programme by bringing together musicians, visual artists and performers.

The initiative reflects the festival’s growing ambitions and its efforts to create a wider space for cultural interaction.

According to Euronews, this year’s programme brought together different artistic traditions, ranging from classical music and Azerbaijani mugham to contemporary musical forms.

The reportage also highlights the festival’s visual arts component, including the “The Crossroads of Cultures” exhibition, which brought together more than 30 local and international artists.

The combination of music and visual art has added a new dimension to the festival, allowing artists from different backgrounds to present their work alongside musical performances.

The international character of the event is also central to the Euronews coverage. The broadcaster portrays Gabala as a space where different cultures meet through artistic expression, with the festival increasingly attracting performers and audiences from around the world.

The reportage notes that the organisers intend to further expand the cultural programme in 2027, reinforcing Gabala’s emerging role as an international meeting point for artists and audiences.

The Gabala International Music Festival has developed considerably since its launch, evolving from its original focus on classical music into a broader programme encompassing different musical genres and artistic traditions.

Euronews has previously covered the festival, including its 2025 edition, when it described Gabala as an open-air stage for international jazz, opera and orchestral performances against the backdrop of the Caucasus.

The latest reportage underscores the festival’s continued transformation, with music now serving as a gateway to a wider programme of cultural exchange.

The coverage also places Gabala within Azerbaijan’s broader international cultural profile, presenting the festival as an opportunity for artists from different countries to meet, collaborate and introduce audiences to diverse artistic traditions.

With the expansion of Gabala Fest and plans for a broader programme in 2027, the festival is increasingly positioning itself not simply as a series of concerts, but as a multidisciplinary cultural platform connecting music, visual art and people from different parts of the world.