BRICS News: The BRICS events calendar for 21 October to 15 November 2026 opens with Riyadh Season on 21 October and closes with the Sharjah International Book Fair, with China’s import expo in Shanghai, Formula 1 at Interlagos and Moscow’s Night of the Arts in between. Here is one verified date per member.
Key facts
- Riyadh Season 2026 opens on 21 October for ten weeks.
- The 9th China International Import Expo runs in Shanghai from 5 to 10 November.
- Airshow China in Zhuhai has moved from November to 7–13 December 2026.
Brazil: race weekend at Interlagos
Formula 1 returns for the São Paulo Grand Prix from 6 to 8 November at Interlagos, with the 71-lap race on Sunday 8 November at 14:00 local time. Organisers recommend the Line 9-Emerald express train to Cidade Dutra, at R$35 return. Before that, the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival runs until 29 October; local outlets count 380 or 392 titles from 93 countries, depending on whether shorts and series are included.
Russia: what happens on Night of the Arts?
Moscow stages its annual Night of the Arts on 3–4 November, the eve of National Unity Day. Deputy Mayor Natalia Sergunina announced on 15 October that more than 400 events will take place in museums, libraries, theatres and cultural centres, timed to the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. Highlights include a curator-led tour of the “Catherine II and the Age of Enlightenment” exhibition at Kolomenskoye and late programmes at Tsaritsyno.
India: three days of books in Mumbai
The 17th Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest fills the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point from 23 to 25 October. Entry is free after online registration. Announced speakers include Gulzar, Javed Akhtar, Ramachandra Guha, Shashi Tharoor and the economist Kaushik Basu. The festival, led by co-directors Amy Fernandes and Quasar Thakore Padamsee, will also hand out literary awards for lifetime achievement, fiction, non-fiction and business books.
China: CIIE in Shanghai, and a later airshow
The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) runs at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) from 5 to 10 November. By early August, more than 1,200 companies from 99 countries and regions had registered, according to the Shanghai municipal government. Diaries need updating for Zhuhai. The 16th Airshow China in Zhuhai will now be held from 7 to 13 December, organisers said in Beijing on 13 October.
South Africa: kites over Ottery
The 32nd Cape Town International Kite Festival fills the sky above Youngsfield Military Base in Ottery on 24 and 25 October. It is run by Cape Mental Health, and ticket sales fund free mental health services in the Western Cape. “The kite festival provides us with an awesome opportunity to brighten the sky with messages of hope,” said Professor Ingrid Daniels, the organisation’s chief executive. This year’s theme is #ColourTheSky.
Egypt: eleven nights of Arab music
The 34th Arab Music Festival and Conference runs from 20 to 30 October, opening in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House. Concerts also go to the Arab Music Institute, the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria and the Damanhour Opera House, while research sessions meet in the Small Hall. This edition is dedicated to the memory of singer Hany Shaker. Festival director Mohamed El-Mougy’s team was still finalising the line-up in late September.
Ethiopia: hydropower talks, then 60,000 runners
Addis Ababa hosts the 36th African Hydro Symposium from 3 to 6 November, led by Zambia’s Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre and co-hosted by China’s International Centre for Small Hydropower. Up to 180 delegates are expected, and an African Energy Security Policy Framework is due to be launched there. On 22 November the Great Ethiopian Run 10km follows with a record 60,000 places and chip timing for the first time in its 26-year history.
Iran: last days of the short film festival
The 43rd Tehran International Short Film Festival, organised by the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, closes on 22 October after six days of screenings. Organisers reported 8,755 international submissions, of which 4,372 were fiction. This edition added a category for films made with artificial intelligence. An out-of-competition “African Horizons” strand shows 16 films, including Ousmane Sembène’s Borom Sarret (1963), curated by Senegalese filmmaker Hussein Dembel Sow.
Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Season opens
Riyadh Season 2026 opens on Wednesday 21 October for ten weeks under the “Big Time” slogan, announced by General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh. Boulevard World adds pavilions for the Netherlands, Portugal and Yemen, while Boulevard City, Wonder Garden and the Ana Arabia exhibition at VIA Riyadh reopen. Boxing, wrestling and UFC bouts sit alongside concerts and comedy. Our view: check individual fixtures before booking, because dates inside the season can still shift.
UAE: Sharjah opens its book fair
The 45th Sharjah International Book Fair runs from 4 to 15 November at Expo Centre Sharjah, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority under the slogan “Made of Stories”. Gulf News reports 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries and about 1,500 cultural events. Oman is guest of honour. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the authority’s chairperson, said that “over 45 years SIBF has helped embed books in society”.
Indonesia: Ubud’s writers gather
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival opens in Bali on 21 October and runs to 25 October, centred on Taman Baca Ubud. Its theme, “Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.”, draws on Sanskrit philosophy. Founder Janet DeNeefe has booked Kiran Desai, Tash Aw, Katie Kitamura and Fatima Bhutto, alongside Indonesian writers such as Dandhy Laksono and Dian Purnomo. The Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati foundation runs the event.
BRICS events calendar at a glance
| Country | Event | Dates (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Arab Music Festival | 20–30 Oct |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh Season | from 21 Oct |
| Indonesia | Ubud Writers & Readers Festival | 21–25 Oct |
| India | Mumbai LitFest | 23–25 Oct |
| South Africa | Cape Town Kite Festival | 24–25 Oct |
| Russia | Night of the Arts | 3–4 Nov |
| Ethiopia | African Hydro Symposium | 3–6 Nov |
| UAE | Sharjah Book Fair | 4–15 Nov |
| China | CIIE | 5–10 Nov |
| Brazil | São Paulo Grand Prix | 6–8 Nov |
More listings are in our events section; see also the Festival do Rio winners.
FAQ
Is Airshow China still in November?
No. Organisers moved the 16th edition in Zhuhai to 7–13 December 2026.
Which event opens on 21 October?
Two do: Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia and the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Bali.
Sources: Arab News, China News Service, Misr Connect, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, Izvestia, The Rio Times, UNECA, Capital Ethiopia, Atlantic Sun, Indie Shorts Mag, Free Press Journal.
