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  • ☕Coffee Festival, Tashkent's Beach, a new Safari Park and Charity Drive

☕Coffee Festival, Tashkent's Beach, a new Safari Park and Charity Drive

Plus plenty more events in Tashkent this week.

Author

Ryan Ettenfield
May 14, 2025

Good morning Tashkenters!

In today’s Tashkent Insider:

  • Coffee & Tea Festival

  • New ‘Safari Park’ Opening

  • Visiting Tashkent’s Beach

  • Orphanage Charity Drive

  • Matcha Tea Rave

  • What’s happening in Tashkent this week…

Let’s get into it!

Ryan

☕ Coffee & Tea Fest Expo 2025 | May 16–18

Tashkent’s biggest celebration of coffee and tea returns this May! Over three days, Ankhor Park will host barista championships, latte art battles, workshops on alternative brewing, expert talks, tastings of rare blends, and a “Coffee with closed eyes” challenge.

Families can enjoy kids’ zones, live music, art installations, a food court, and over 40 DJs. Entry is free, with access to the expo, lectures, and masterclasses for just 10,000 soums.

🕛 May 16-18, 12:00–17:00 daily | 📍Labzak 12/1, Ankhor Park

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9th May Memorial Celebrations at Anhor Park

Tag us on Instagram @TashkentInsider to get your Tashkent photo featured next week!

🦁 A Safari Park… in Tashkent?

Magic Safari is opening this week on the outskirts of Tashkent, and from the official description, it sounds like one of the most ambitious family attractions the city’s seen in a while.

The park covers 20 hectares and is split into more than ten themed zones, with animals from across the globe — lions, kangaroos, alpacas, parrots, deer, camels, and even a free-roaming lemur area. There's also a contact zone called Zoo-Zoo for kids to feed and pet smaller animals like rabbits, goats and ponies.

You can walk through the park or take a safari-style bus that drives among the animals. In the evenings, the whole place transforms into LoonaLand, with lights, art installations and photo zones.

It's located in Yangikhaetsky district (Maps), so be prepared for a bit of a journey. There’s no mention of ticket prices yet, but the park is open daily from 10am to 10pm. The park officially opens on Thursday, 15th May.

More updates on Instagram: @magicsafari.

🏖️ Visiting Tashkent’s Beach

We visited the beach last week! And no, we’re not talking about Boracay or Phuket. This ‘beach’ is located in Yangi Uzbekistan Park, just a short drive out of the city.

The beach is about 50m long and a few metres wide (the sand is surprisingly soft). All completely artificial but the novelty certainly impressed.

The setup includes sun loungers, umbrellas, showers and changing rooms. The sun loungers cover the whole beach so leave your volleyball at home.

An ocean of sun loungers…

One of the highlights is the swimming area: it’s huge and fairly deep, so better for adults who actually want to swim. There’s not much shallow water, and the ramp into the pool isn’t the easiest for little kids.

We arrived at about 5pm which was perfect considering the heat at the moment. At the time there were only about 20 people, making it very comfortable. I’d avoid weekends.

The cost for adults is 100,000 UZS on weekdays or 130,000 on weekends (for 3 hours). Discounts for kids & pensioners. Under-4s free. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm.

The verdict? For a couple of hours you can forget that you’re living in one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world and relax with warm sand underfoot and enough water for a real swim. Definitely Tashkent Insider approved!

In the News this Week…

• Record-Breaking Mid-May Heat Expected in Uzbekistan
Temperatures are set to soar from May 14–18, reaching up to 42°C in parts of the country, including up to 41°C in Tashkent on Friday.

• T’way Air to Launch Direct Flights from Seoul to Tashkent
South Korean budget airline T’way Air will begin direct flights to Tashkent on June 19. The route will run four times per week, adding a more affordable option alongside Korean Air and Uzbekistan Airways.

• Stone Age Settlements Discovered in Jizzakh
Archaeologists have uncovered Paleolithic and Neolithic era settlements in the Jizzakh region. ‘Traces of the social and cultural life of ancient societies’ point to human life in the area thousands of years ago.

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Partnered with Tashkent Tavern

Garage Sale for Orphanage and Underprivileged Families

As many of Tashkent’s expat community will be leaving Uzbekistan this summer, Nick from Tashkent Tavern is hoping to help out local orphanages with money raised from selling leavers’ unwanted goods. Here are the details:

What’s on in Tashkent this Week?

Business/Networking

  • Oil and Gas Expo @CaEx Uzbekistan. 13-15 May. Info

  • Textile Expo @UzExpoCentre. 14-16 May.

  • Power Uzbekistan 2025 @CaEx Uzbekistan. 15-17 May.

  • Plug and Play Uzbekistan Expo @Palace of Trade Unions. 15 May. One of the key events dedicated to the development of the technological and innovation ecosystem in the region. Sign up.

Movies in English at Tashkent City Mall’s Cinematica (4th floor)

🎬 Thunderbolts (16+) 🍿 May 14. Times

🎬 Final Destination: Bloodlines (18+) 🍿 Daily from May 15. Times

Sport/Exercise

  • Yoga in English @EcoCafe. 80 mins, Sat, register on Telegram @RafaelMirovich

  • Zumba in English @BeFit, EcoPark. Sat 11am & 6pm. 150,000 UZS

  • Hot Yoga in English @Wellme Studio, Sun 18th, 11:00. 250,000 UZS. Register on Telegram @hotyogawithdiyora

  • Plogging Race @Kosa Farm, Tashkent Region. May 18, 06:45–14:00. Free.
    A day of fitness and eco-action just 35 km from Tashkent. Join the plogging race—jogging while picking up litter—followed by a prize draw, lunch, and a visit to the farm. Free transport included. Registration via Telegram: @uzplogging.

  • Trail Running: Aktash Trail – 24km / 1600m ascent. 18 May. TG:+998 50 779 3957 (Niandi)

Family

  • 🦁 Grand Opening of the Magic Safari park. 15th March (see above)

Finding events for English speaking families is tough. Let me know of any future events!

Culture, Music & Art

New

  • In Search of Light Exhibition @Ilkhom Theatre. Until June 1. Free.
    The general leitmotif of the series is the personal transformation of an unnamed hero: this is a story about growing up, about acceptance, about finding harmony in what once seemed frightening.

  • The Art of Perceiving Art @Tashkent House of Photography. May 16-26. Free

    By artist Manushak Arushanova. The exhibition opening will take place on May 16 at 18:00.

  • Memory @Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan. May 8-June 8. 5,000-50,000 UZS.
    This art project is dedicated to the spirit of peace, courage and selflessness, awakening the memory of ancestors through expressive images.

  • Golden Hits: The Voice @State Conservatory of Uzbekistan. May 16, 19:00. From 44,000 UZS.

    Immortal masterpieces from vocal legends such as Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Lara Fabian and Adele. Backed by a magnificent orchestra, choir and talented soloists. Tickets

  • La Traviata @A. Navoi Theatre. May 16–17, 18:00–20:00. From 40,000 UZS.
    Verdi’s timeless opera returns to the Tashkent stage with a moving tale of love, sacrifice, and passion.

  • Ballet Evening @A. Navoi Theatre. May 18, 18:00–20:00. From 77,000 UZS.
    Iconic ballet scenes performed by the theatre’s leading dancers. Expect excerpts from Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, La Bayadère, Carmen Suite, One Thousand and One Nights, and more. Tickets

  • Jazz for You @State Conservatory of Uzbekistan. May 22, 19:00. From 55,000.
    From classical swing to modern fusion: the program includes famous jazz standards, original compositions and improvisations. Tickets

Ongoing Exhibitions

  • ‘Life as it is’ Exhibition @Ikuo Hirayama Cultural Caravanserai. Until May 15. Free

  • Qatlama exhibition @Human House Gallery. Opening May 10, 18:00. Until May 17. Free.

  • Eski Shahar @Studio Artera. Until May 20. Free.

  • ‘Faust Through the Artist’s Eyes’ @Tashkent House of Photography. Until May 28. Free.

  • Maktub @Regeneration Art Gallery. Until July 3. Free.

Nightlife

Weds 14th

  • Pub Quiz in English @Tashkent Tavern, 19:00.

  • Stand up Comedy in English @Spot Standup Club, Matbuotchilar 17, 20:00. Free. More info @TG: standupENGuz.

Thurs 15th

  • Hollowsea (melodic) @Tashkent Tavern. Free

  • alpha-ray @Nukus89, 20:45. Trip-hop, jazz, synth-pop band from Switzerland.

Fri 16th

  • Das Ist Fantastisch (rock) @Ponaehali Hall, 17 Matbuotchilar (Broadway)

  • Grand Band (rock) @VM Bar. Men 50k, Women Free.

  • Karaoke @Tashkent Tavern. Free

Sat 17th

  • Panorama (classic rock covers) @Tashkent Tavern. Free

  • Flashback (pop/rock) @HumanHouse, 18:00. 60,000

  • Popeloff (rock) @VM Bar, 23:55. Men 50k, Women Free

  • Volkov @OliverPubKitchen

Sun 18th

  • Match Rave @Matcha, 11 Kary-Niyazi Street. 12:00. Free.

    A matcha tea shop turned day time nightclub. A child-friendly free rave with tea instead of alcohol, aimed at those too old to nurse hangover. What’s not to like?? Preview 

  • 11 (rock) @Tashkent Tavern. Free.

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Thanks for reading…

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of Tashkent Insider.

If you have any questions, suggestions or general comments feel free to reply.

Ryan 

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