The Lazgi Festival in Khiva: a celebration of Khorezm dance

When a surnay starts playing in Khorezm and a doira drum joins in, someone always steps into the circle. Lazgi is the region's signature dance: you hear it at weddings, in neighbourhood courtyards and at school concerts. In 2019 UNESCO added the Khorezm dance Lazgi to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and Khiva became the venue for an international festival dedicated to it. Below is what to see, how to get there and how to make sure you have somewhere to sleep.

What Lazgi is

Lazgi starts slowly. The dancer moves gently, almost standing still, with only the hands and shoulders in motion. Then the rhythm speeds up, and by the end the dance is fast and intensely emotional. There are several variations, including court, wedding and bell versions as well as a men's version, and each Khorezm ensemble has its own style.

The costumes are vivid: long atlas silk dresses, ornaments on the head and wrists, and for men, robes and tall fur chugurma hats. The music is built on the surnay, doira, dutar and gijak.

How the festival works

The festival gathers professional and amateur ensembles from Uzbekistan and abroad. Dates are set in advance and usually fall in the warmer part of the year. Before your trip, check the current schedule with official sources, as the format and timing can change.

What the programme usually includes:

• Opening and gala concerts on a large stage by the walls of Itchan Kala.
• Competition performances by ensembles and soloists.
• Street performances inside the old town: at the gates, on the squares and in madrasah courtyards.
• A crafts and food fair: Khorezm shivit oshi (green dill noodles), tukhum barak (egg-filled dumplings), flatbreads, embroidery and woodcarving.

The real charm is the atmosphere. Even if you miss an official concert, music fills Itchan Kala in the evenings, and locals dance alongside visitors.

If you miss the festival

You can still catch Lazgi on ordinary days. In summer and autumn, folk ensembles often perform in Khiva: evening concerts take place in madrasah courtyards and on stages by the gates, and posters around the old town announce them. Another way is a Khorezm wedding. If you are invited to a toy, Lazgi is guaranteed and every guest will be dancing. Urgench also has theatre and concert venues where ensembles perform through the season.

Itchan Kala: what to see between performances

Khiva's inner town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List back in 1990. It is compact and easy to explore on foot:

• Kalta Minor, the unfinished minaret in turquoise tiles and the symbol of the city.
• Islam Khoja Minaret, the tallest in Khiva, with a view over the whole old town from the top.
• Juma Mosque, a hall with more than two hundred carved wooden columns.
• Kunya Ark, the old fortress of the khans, with its throne room.
• Tash Hauli Palace, with its harem and majolica-lined reception courtyards.
• The city walls, best walked at sunset.

The Itchan Kala ticket covers most sights, but some are paid separately. Prices change, so check at the ticket offices by the gates.

Getting to Khiva

Khiva is in Khorezm, a long way from Tashkent. Your main options:

1. Fly to Urgench. The fastest way, at about an hour and a half in the air.
2. Train. Trains, including overnight services, run to Urgench and to Khiva itself. The journey takes over 14 hours.
3. By car. The Tashkent — Urgench route is roughly 1,000 km through Bukhara and the Kyzylkum Desert, 13 to 15 hours on the road. Break the trip with a night in Bukhara.

From Urgench to Khiva it is about 30 to 35 km, or 40 minutes. Urgench — Khiva is one of the most frequent short trips in the region. On Yo'ldosh you can book a seat in a car going from Urgench to Khiva, which is especially handy right after you land or if you are staying in Urgench.

Accommodation: book early

During the festival Khiva fills with performers, delegations, journalists and tourists. There are only a few hotels and family guesthouses inside Itchan Kala, and they sell out first.

• Book several weeks ahead, ideally as soon as the dates are announced.
• Consider staying outside the walls. Dishan Kala, the outer town, is a 5 to 15 minute walk from the gates.
• Stay in Urgench as a fallback: more choice, and Khiva is close.

Practical tips

• Sun. Khorezm has a desert climate. Days are hot, so bring a hat, sunscreen and water.
• Evenings. After sunset the desert cools quickly, so pack a light jacket.
• Cash. Small shops and street vendors often do not take cards.
• Photos. Professional performers usually do not mind, but do not step into the circle during a performance.
• Shoes. Paving and steps are uneven, so wear comfortable footwear.

The takeaway

The Lazgi festival is a rare moment when old Khiva comes alive not just through its architecture but through its music. Watch for the dates, book your room early, and plan the journey with the Tashkent — Urgench and Urgench — Khiva pages. More tips for travellers are in the for passengers section.

Cover photo: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.