The Baku Flames 2026 International Festival of Creativity and Effectiveness, which caused a great resonance in the creative ecosystem of the region last year, is back. Bringing together all areas of the creative industry around advertising, design, marketing and innovation, the festival will be held on May 15-16 this year. Early ticket sales for participation in the festival and early applications for the Flames awards have been officially announced as of January 12.
“Baku Flames 2026” introduces a new participation format for local creators. Each work submitted by local agencies, brands and freelancers will be evaluated in both local and international competition categories. Participants will have the opportunity to win double recognition and awards by submitting their work to both local and international juries with a single application.
Four different ticket types are available for festival participants:
Classic: Access to all events, presentations and parties throughout the festival
Student: A more affordable option for young people studying
VIP: Access to special zones and extensive networking opportunities
Young Lions: An opportunity for creators under 30 to compete in Cannes
(only for participants from Azerbaijan)
“Baku Flames” has proven to be one of the most influential creative platforms in the region in a short period of time. The results of 2025 clearly demonstrate this: the festival brought together 1,260 creative industry representatives, and 343 applications were registered in all categories of the competition. The international scale was confirmed by the speeches of 39 speakers from 9 countries and a professional jury of 40 people representing 18 countries.
Key dates for applying for the Flames Awards:
- First deadline: February 20, 2026
- Main deadline: March 27, 2026
- Final deadline: April 10, 2026
- Announcement of awards: May 15–16, 2026
The main theme of the festival, “Human After All,” emphasizes that in an era of rapidly developing technologies, creativity is still built on human emotions, empathy, and sincerity.
For more information and to apply: bakuflames.az
