Khiva's Melon Festival earns a Guinness World Record and draws 186,000 visitors

The international festival “Qovun Sayli – 2026” — the Khiva Melon Feast — took place from 7 to 9 August in the historic city of Khiva, jointly organised by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan and the Khorezm regional administration. According to UzDaily and the national news agency UzA, the three days drew around 186,000 visitors, including 36,000 international guests and 150,000 domestic travellers.

Held around the ancient walls of the Ichan Qala fortress and the modern Arda Khiva tourist complex, the festival showcased more than 250 varieties of melon grown across Uzbekistan, alongside over 200 dishes and products made from them. Visitors enjoyed tastings, folk-craft exhibitions, master classes, folklore performances and concerts — a full portrait of Khorezm’s culinary and cultural heritage.

The high point came on 9 August, when Khiva was awarded a new Guinness World Record for the festival’s mass melon tasting. As reported by UzA and dunyo.info, the record was certified on-site by an official Guinness World Records judge who travelled to Khiva to verify the attempt.

For travellers, the festival highlighted just how much of a destination Khiva has become in its own right — the Silk Road city is no longer only a stopover between Bukhara and the Aral Sea, but a place where Uzbekistan’s regional cultures are celebrated in front of a growing global audience. Anyone planning a Khorezm visit in future summers should mark early August in the calendar.