Tom Yum, Tie-Dye, Muay Thai and Moscow Hospitality: The 2026 Thai Festival in Review

From July 31 to August 2, the 12th Thai Festival took place in the Hermitage Garden. This year’s main theme, “A Celebration for the Future: Creativity in Life and in the Heart,” brought together 49,000 guests at one venue over three days.

Ahead of the event, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the forum “Business Dialogue Moscow – Bangkok. The Vector of Business Cooperation.” The Thai business delegation included executives from major companies in light industry, jewelry, pharmaceuticals, the beauty industry, eco-friendly food production, and interior and design development. The meeting gave Thai and Russian partners an opportunity to strengthen friendly ties and lay the groundwork for further cooperation.

The festival’s cultural program featured student music and dance ensembles, as well as Muay Luang muay thai exhibition bouts. Audiences were also treated to a runway show of the collection “A Journey of Thai Fashion Around the World,” a joint project by the Moscow Fashion Week team and the Government of Moscow. Designers created costumes spanning the Ayutthaya and early Rattanakosin eras through to contemporary business looks.

The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks from Sasivat Wongsinsawat, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Russia; Alexey Shaposhnikov, Chairman of the Moscow City Duma; and Vyacheslav Manuylov, Deputy Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow. Among the invited honorary guests were People’s Artist of Russia Igor Butman, Hermitage Garden director Irina Pakhomova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Alexander Alimov, Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Andrey Denisov, and representatives of Thai business and universities.

Vyacheslav Manuylov, Deputy Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, noted that the Russian capital takes pride in the partner and friendly ties connecting the capitals of the two countries:

“The Thai Festival has already become a cherished tradition in Moscow. Every year it draws tens of thousands of guests, and this year it was named one of the flagship projects of Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That is certainly a high honor and a strong vote of confidence for Moscow. I would also note that in October 2026 we are preparing to hold Moscow Days in Bangkok.”

Sasivat Wongsinsawat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Russian Federation, also addressed the gathering with a welcome speech:

“Since it was first held in 2014, the Thai Festival has become one of Moscow’s most anticipated international events. Over the years, it has grown into a vibrant platform bringing together not only the peoples of Thailand and Russia but also members of the international community living in the Russian capital. Together, we have made it a true symbol of the strong, long-standing friendship between our countries.”

The evening closed on a high note: for the first time at the Thai Festival, guests were treated to a performance by the Moscow Jazz Orchestra under Igor Butman. The second and third days offered an equally packed program: the main stage featured performances by Thai university ensembles — Thaksin University, Rangsit University, Srinakharinwirot University, and the Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music. At the interactive venues, guests could take cooking workshops on making tom yum, tie-dye fabric dyeing, decorative fish weaving, and watercolor workshops with artists from Chiang Mai Province.

Partners of the Thai Festival included: the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow, the Department of Culture of Moscow, the autonomous non-profit organization Moscow Center for International Cooperation, and the event agency SOKOL TEAM EVENT. Media partners: Vokrug Sveta, theDay, Psychologies, Icon Life, 7 Days, Lady Mail, and Snob.