Opinions & Interviews
Slavianski Bazaar wraps up with record attendance
VITEBSK, 20 July (BelTA) – Millions of online views, a record number of accredited participants, and positive feedback from performers and guests marked the 35th edition of the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Director General of the Vitebsk Culture Center, festival director Gleb Lapitsky told the media on 20 July, BelTA has learned.
The closing day of Slavianski Bazaar traditionally features a preliminary summary of the festival’s events and statistics. “Today we are saying goodbye to our guests with a touch of sadness because they are leaving. But the most important thing is that they are going home with a happy mood: some because of their victories, others because of the emotions they experienced here. We can already say that this was truly a record-breaking festival. As of the morning of 20 July, 8,350 participants have been accredited, and that number will continue to grow because concerts are still scheduled at the Summer Amphitheater and the Sports Complex. In 2026, people from 52 countries took part in Slavianski Bazaar. Together, our participants traveled more than 120,000km to reach Vitebsk – the equivalent of circling the globe three times,” Gleb Lapitsky said.
According to him, the festival reached its peak attendance on 17 July, when more than 50,000 people filled the streets of Vitebsk. “More than 120,000 people attended ticketed events across all festival venues. Our online broadcasts have already attracted over 15 million views. We managed to draw attention not only to our most popular projects but also to the competitions, which attracted much greater interest this year. This is particularly important because the competitions help promote the festival abroad. I am pleased to see internet users pointing out that Belarusians are willing to award the Grand Prix even to representatives of countries that may not currently have the best relations with us. I believe that is what makes Slavianski Bazaar unique: it does not matter where you come from, what matters is that we pursue peace and mutual understanding through art. We are open to friendship, and we are glad that the competition results were judged objectively,” he said.
Speaking about the so-called creative economy, Gleb Lapitsky stressed that the festival itself is only one element of a broader effort to attract attention and investment not only to Vitebsk but to Belarus as a whole. “The festival creates a meeting point for ideas, and culture often becomes the foundation for future economic projects. Slavianski Bazaar is financially sustainable and profitable, allowing us to present a lineup like this year’s. We should also remember the direct and indirect economic benefits generated for restaurants, retailers and souvenir vendors. From an economic standpoint, this is a balanced, self-sustaining project. We also receive targeted funding from the Union State budget for Union State events. As for the commercial program, concerts, sponsorship and partnerships, we put enormous effort into relying as little as possible on public funding and generating as much off-budget revenue as we can,” he said. Gleb Lapitsky added that every ticket for events at the Summer Amphitheater, the Vitebsk Central Sports Complex, the regional philharmonic hall and the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theater was sold, with all performances playing to full houses.
Gleb Lapitsky also noted that heads of foreign delegations were leaving Vitebsk with only positive impressions. “The most important thing is that they are already proposing ideas for next year’s festival,” he said.
According to Gleb Lapitsky, throughout the festival and during the 35-day run-up to Slavianski Bazaar, participants and guests continuously shared ideas and suggestions for new projects and improvements. “Some artists are already saying, ‘Invite us back next year.’ They say this because they love Slavianski Bazaar and the Vitebsk audience. When they say that, they are not thinking about fees or whether all the requirements of their riders can be met, they simply want to come here. We already have plenty of ideas to make next year’s festival even better,” Gleb Lapitsky said.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
