Astana hosts EuroFest 2025: A celebration of diversity and dialogue
The capital of Kazakhstan hosted EuroFest 2025, an event that brought together residents and visitors to celebrate European diversity and strengthen international cooperation. The festival became a platform not only for festivities, but also for promoting cultural exchange and dialogue between Kazakhstan and the European Union, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Visitors explored a wide range of activities, including cultural booths from EU countries, educational opportunities for studying in Europe, and EU-supported projects in Kazakhstan. The main stage featured musical performances and a special award ceremony for journalists as part of an EU-backed media competition. Guests also had the chance to taste traditional dishes from various EU countries and purchase unique souvenirs.
One of the highlights of the event was a performance by a special guest from Spain — renowned flamenco and Spanish dancer Carlos Romero. Speaking with a Kazinform News Agency correspondent, Beatriz Muñoz Gonzalez, Cultural Attaché of the Spanish Embassy, shared more about Spain’s participation in the festival:
“In our Spanish stand today we have Spanish food — paella, empanada, tortilla. We also have another stand and we are selling Spanish souvenirs, organizing games for children, and playing karaoke. It’s the second time that we are participating after COVID and we believe it’s a very good festival in order to promote the European Union but also in order to promote our own countries because Europe is very diverse and we want to promote Spanish culture, Spanish food, Spanish music,” she said.
The Embassy of Croatia also prepared a special photo exhibition for the event. In an interview with Kazinform, Refik Šabanović, the Ambassador of Croatia to Kazakhstan, spoke about the display:
“Every year we make the EuroFest or EuroDay and as many of you know Croatia is a full member of the European Union. As a member of the European Union, today we organized a beautiful exhibition. We have around 30 photos, and we prepared them for Kazakh people. I know many Kazakh people would like to visit Croatia. As many of you know, Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. We have very strong tourism. Because of that, we brought this exhibition. But with the exhibition also, we are doing business, selling some Croatian products to collect money for some people who need help. We are very happy that we have many Kazakh visitors — young, middle-aged, and elderly, who come to visit the exhibition and also our tent,” he said.
In addition to national booths, embassies took part in a public quiz event, where winners were awarded exclusive prizes for correctly answering questions about countries of Europe.
EuroFest 2025 also coincided with International Children’s Day, prompting organizers to prepare a vibrant program for younger visitors complete with animators, games, and entertainment activities for children.
