Bishkek, March 23, 2026 /Kabar/. The Francophonie Spring festival will take place in Kyrgyzstan from March 25 to April 12, 2026, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
The program includes educational, cultural and entertainment events dedicated to the diversity and creativity of the French language and francophone cultures. This year’s theme is “Women and Francophonie.”
The festival is organized jointly with the Embassies of France, Switzerland, and the Delegation of the European Union in Kyrgyzstan, as well as the Embassies of Belgium and Romania in Kazakhstan, and nearly 20 Kyrgyz partners.
French remains one of the most widely used languages globally, spoken by over 330 million people across five continents. It is also widely used in diplomacy and international business, with 88 countries participating in the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
The festival will open on March 25 in Bishkek with a concert by French pianist Christine Fonlupt at the Toktogul Satylganov National Philharmonic Hall. The program will be dedicated to prominent female figures in music.
For the first time, a Festival of Francophone Films will be held from April 7 to 10 at the Ala-Too Cinema in Bishkek. The screenings will feature films from Switzerland, France, Belgium and Romania. The opening film will be the Swiss production “Bon Schuur Ticino,” presented in original languages with subtitles in Kyrgyz, Russian and English.
Other events include dance and fashion shows, wine tastings, creative competitions, theatre performances, conferences and university-based activities.
Among the key events are an international women’s rugby tournament in Osh on March 28, a conference dedicated to the Mona Lisa on April 2 at the National Historical Museum, a fashion show in Novotel Bishkek on April 4, and an international hip-hop dance festival on April 12.
The closing ceremony and award presentation will take place on April 12 at Novotel Bishkek.
Events will also be held in Osh from March 27 to 28, including a concert by Christine Fonlupt, film screenings and conferences.