Uzbekistan’s Bukhara selected to host 2027 UNESCO Creative Cities conference
UNESCO has chosen Bukhara, Uzbekistan, to host its Creative Cities Network annual conference in 2027.
Photo credit and license
Photo: Kalyan Mosque, Bukhara — St. Christofor / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Archival photograph from 25 February 2023. · Image source · License: CC BY-SA 4.0Bukhara, the historic Uzbek city on the Silk Road, will host the UNESCO Creative Cities Network’s annual conference in 2027, the organization announced on 30 October 2026 ahead of World Cities Day. The choice puts a city known for its architectural heritage and traditions of craftsmanship at the centre of an international discussion about the role of culture in urban development.
Bukhara joined the network as a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art in 2023. UNESCO said the 2027 gathering would bring together mayors, municipal representatives, cultural practitioners and specialists to exchange experience and consider how creativity can support local economies and communities. The announcement identifies the host city but does not establish the conference’s precise dates or a finalized programme.
Established in 2004, the network currently includes 408 member cities, according to UNESCO. It encourages cities to treat creative industries and cultural activity as components of sustainable development rather than simply as attractions for visitors. In Bukhara, the relationship between living craft traditions, tourism, jobs and contemporary design is especially visible.
The preceding network conference is scheduled for 25–27 November 2026 in Essaouira, Morocco. Bukhara’s selection therefore sets a direction for the following year, not an event already under way. The city’s challenge will be to convert international attention into practical opportunities for artisans, residents and the institutions that preserve its heritage.
