The Tulip Festival, held at the summit of the Karatau mountain range in the Zhambyl region, sparked a wave of outrage among visitors. The cause was organisational miscalculations, including logistical problems, a lack of basic amenities, and insufficient information for guests.
According to the Telegram channel "Halyqstan", the festival took place in a remote location — at the foot of Mount Karatau, near the village of Yeseikhan in the Talas district. The site was chosen because of the red-listed tulips growing there. However, upon arrival, it turned out that most of the tulips had already finished blooming.
The event gathered several thousand people. Visitors were transported from Taraz to the village of Yeseikhan by bus, and from there by off-road vehicles and buses to the ethno-village, located further up the mountain serpentine road.
According to eyewitnesses, the transport service was intermittent, vehicles broke down along the way, and participants had to hike up the mountain on foot. It was particularly difficult for the elderly and children. Many gave up halfway along the route.
"We came here with our children because there was good advertising. From 6 in the morning from Taraz, it took us 6 hours to get to the festival! We made a huge number of transfers. We sent the children ahead, then we got there by hitchhiking ourselves. Why did we go through registration? It was promised that everyone would be taken there and brought back. Then it turned out that no one owed anyone anything. Why hold such events?!" – said an outraged resident of Taraz, Kamilla Ibragimova.
It is reported that the distance from the ethno-village to the tulip fields was 10–15 kilometres. Guests continued to be taken there on the same buses; however, according to eyewitnesses, they had to make their own way back — there were not enough vehicles. Tired and disappointed people descended the mountain on foot over dusty and rocky slopes.
Participants also complained about the lack of infrastructure. Only six wooden toilets were installed in the ethno-village area, and long queues quickly formed. Some visitors noted that the doors on the cubicles began to fall off within the first few hours.
There was nowhere to wash up or freshen up. Food was sold for cash only — no terminals for cashless payment were provided. According to guests, the yurts mainly served VIP guests: deputies, akimat officials, elders and businesspeople.
Meanwhile, a cultural programme continued at the mountain summit — fashion shows, photo shoots and sports competitions, with the participation of invited bloggers.
For their part, the press service of the akimat of the Zhambyl region stated that the number of guests significantly exceeded expectations.
"The situation was quickly resolved; additional buses and cars were brought in. From Taraz to the village of Yeseikhan, residents were taken by 20 large buses, and from the village of Yeseikhan to the destination — 10 PAZ buses and 40 Niva cars", the department's response stated.
However, eyewitnesses claim that "nobody managed the situation." According to them, the only ones who actually provided help were employees of the Emergency Situations Department and the police. They assisted people on difficult sections of the route, ensured safety, and provided first aid.