Bashkir beats go global: AY YOLA chosen to lead World Nomad Games 2026
Russian band AY YOLA has been named the official ambassador of the World Nomad Games 2026 - Asia's largest cultural and sporting event, Qazinform News Agency learned from Kabar.
The World Nomad Games 2026 will be held from August 31 to September 6 in Kyrgyzstan.
Representatives from over 90 countries are expected to gather for the event.
The program will feature over 40 sports, international competitions, and a large-scale cultural program.
AY YOLA is a Bashkir-language folk-pop trio from Ufa, Russia, founded in 2024. They gained international popularity in 2025 with their viral hit single Homay, notably in the Turkic states: Kazakhstan, Turkiye, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. The group, consisting of Ruslan Shayhitdinov, Adel Shayhitdinova, and Rinat Ramazanov, blends traditional Bashkir sounds, such as the kurai flute, with contemporary electronic rhythms.
Earlier, Kazybek Moldajiev, director of the Kyrgyz State Agency for Physical Education and Sports said that 43 national traditional games will be played at the VI World Nomad Games. The opening ceremony will take place on August 31 at the new stadium which is under construction in Bishkek, and the games will be held in Cholpon-Ata.