In the lead-up to the thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), set to take place in Baku from 17 to 22 May 2026, the WUF13 Festival was held across a number of cities throughout Azerbaijan as part of broader efforts to raise public awareness of this landmark international event.

The Festival was staged in the cities of Guba, Lankaran, Gabala, Sheki, Mingachevir, Ganja, Khankendi and Sumgayit, before culminating in a final event in Baku. Altogether, the WUF13 city festivals brought together more than 115,000 people across nine cities nationwide, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.

The Festival programme was built around two main strands. During the daytime programme, higher education institutions across the host cities convened information sessions focused on WUF13, offering participants detailed insight into the objectives of the Forum, the principles underpinning sustainable urban development, and Azerbaijan’s wider urbanisation priorities.

The second half of the day featured open-air public programmes held across the host cities. Evening events included interactive activities, educational games, presentations and public discussions, engaging audiences with contemporary themes such as sustainable urban development, inclusive urban environments, innovative urban solutions and the cities of the future.

Festival participants were also given the opportunity to engage more closely with the central ideas underpinning WUF13 and the event’s wider international significance. Drawing interest from audiences across different age groups, the programmes were met with strong public engagement and offered residents fresh perspectives on the future of urban living and human-centred cities.

Alongside fostering broad public participation across the country, the WUF13 Festival series also made an important contribution to raising awareness of the development of more sustainable and inclusive urban environments.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada