The administrations of Kazakhstan’s three major cities—Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent—spent significant funds on celebrating Nauryz, according to the “Adyrna” national portal, citing Tengrinews.kz.
In Astana, funding for festive events was allocated through district administrations. A total of 366.4 million tenge was allocated for Nauryz celebrations across the city. However, some tenders on the public procurement portal suggest that expenses could be even higher. For example, 827 million tenge was allocated in the Sarayshyq district for decorating streets and squares, while 405.8 million tenge was spent in the Saryarka district on festive decorations and small architectural installations.
In Almaty, the Department of Culture was responsible for organizing Nauryz celebrations. According to the public procurement portal, eight tenders totaling 555.8 million tenge were issued ahead of Nauryz. This money was spent on organizing concerts and fairs, stage construction, installing architectural elements and flags, as well as sound and lighting equipment. However, the city administration has not officially confirmed these expenses and stated that it would take two months to verify the information.
In Shymkent, the Directorate for Organizing Cultural and Public Events and district administrations were in charge of the celebrations. The main expenses were directed toward a gala concert, fireworks, hot air balloons, and setting up yurts. Initially, the administration announced an allocation of 132.6 million tenge, but later it was revealed that an additional 12.8 million tenge was spent on extra decorations. As a result, the total cost of the Nauryz celebrations in Shymkent amounted to 156.5 million tenge.
