Inaugural "Varchafest" Music Festival to Debut at Armenia's Lake Sevan on August 22

On August 22, the inaugural "Varchafest" competition and festival will take place at Lake Sevan. The event will be held on the grounds designated for the upcoming Seaside Startup Summit Armenia 2026 international conference.

Competition Program and Activities

According to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who shared details about the festival on his Facebook page on August 18, musical groups that have passed the preliminary round will perform their sets. The ultimate winner will be determined through a combined vote by a professional jury and the attending audience, followed by a cash prize award ceremony. Alongside the main competition, various supplementary events will be organized, including:

• fairs where residents of the Gegharkunik region will showcase their local goods and services,
• sports competitions and live performances.

Guest Concerts and Transportation Details

Before the official competition kicks off, the popular Armenian rock band "Lav eli" will hold a major concert to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their founding. Another well-known local band, "Kami Friends," will also perform as a special guest outside the competition program.

"Where there is a concert, there will definitely be food, socializing, dancing, and a great time," Pashinyan noted, as reported by the local news agency ArmInfo.

The festival program will officially begin at 12:00. For the convenience of attendees, a special train will depart from the Yerevan railway station at 09:30 and return at 20:30. Both admission to the festival and the train ride are completely free of charge. As previously noted, the Armenian government has allocated a budget of 179 million dram for this event.