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Newmag Summerfest 2025 Opens and Closes with the S

Newmag Summerfest 2025 Opens and Closes with the Scent of Books, the Taste of Wine, and the Sounds of Jazz (photos)

06/24/2025

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The 5th annual summer festival of Newmag Publishing House was held under the theme BOOKS, WINE, JAZZ, uniting literature, winemaking, and music in one vibrant celebration. This year’s Newmag Summerfest featured ten new book presentations for both adults and children.


At the festival's opening, Head of Newmag Publishing Artak Aleksanyan thanked the co-organizer, sponsors, and partners, highlighting the festival’s new direction:


“To keep things fresh—for us and our readers—we decided to make this year's festival more conceptual. That’s how the idea of combining books, wine, and jazz was born. This festival is about showcasing the best Armenia has to offer—whether it’s literary content, music, or wine. Take time to chat with our editors, proofreaders, and designers—they all have fascinating stories to tell.”


The permanent co-organizer of the festival is Yeraz Projects. Its co-founder, Angela Petrosyan, emphasized the cultural and emotional value of books:

“A nation that gave the world Narekatsi and Tumanyan cannot help but love literature. The books we read accompany us through life—they are not just pages but carriers of emotion, knowledge, and wisdom. Books give us wings to dream, strength to grow, and values to uphold. That’s why I believe so strongly in introducing children to books and becoming a model for them. The books published by Newmag are thoughtfully selected, beautifully designed, and of high quality. To build a powerful nation, we need a well-educated and aware society. That’s at the heart of our partnership with Newmag.”



Returning for the fourth year as main sponsor, Evoca Bank brought its “Money Talks” financial literacy series to life with a panel discussion at the festival. Visitors who bought three or more books had the chance to win 30,000 AMD gift cards in a raffle.


Lucy Sarukhanyan, Head of Marketing and PR at Evoca Bank, moderated the discussion and spoke about the partnership:

“This is our fourth year supporting Newmag Summerfest, and each year the festival proves its cultural and educational value. I’m always amazed by the number of people who attend—it’s clear how strong the public’s interest in literature remains.”



This year, Newmag Summerfest debuted a completely new format. The jazz component was curated by the Armenian Jazz Association, which joined the festival for the first time as a main partner. Co-founder Ani Soghoyan expressed excitement about the collaboration:


“Newmag has long provided us with a culturally rich festival. Jazz, wine, and books are a natural trio—each with its own heritage and depth. We’re excited to be part of this and look forward to a lasting partnership.”




Six Armenian wineries—Alexandrea Winery, MOONQ, Karas Wines, Mijnaberd, Voskeni Wines, and ALTERA Wines—presented their wines, shared their stories, and offered tastings. Their participation was made possible by the Armenian Vine & Wine Foundation, a general partner of the festival.



 Zaruhi Muradyan, Executive Director of the Foundation, reflected on the symbolic power of wine:

“Wine is more than a beverage—it’s our thousand-year-old story in a bottle. At this festival, visitors could taste the best of Armenian winemaking, learn about our native grape varieties, and hear from winemakers about the deeper meanings behind the glass.”



Across both days, the festival garden was filled with jazz: DJ LadyXXS and Vahagn Martirosyan kept the vibe alive with jazz sets, while Artyom Manukyan’s trio closed the first night. The final evening concluded with a live performance by Dialog Project ft. A. Chilla.


At the end of Day 2, Newmag and the Tovmasyan Charitable Foundation announced the winner of the Young Writers' Contest, launched during the Winterfest. Edgar Movsesyan, director of the foundation, presented the winning work: “Impedance” by David Gevorgyan, which will be published next year.



Closing the event, Artak Aleksanyan expressed his hope that the new format—literature, winemaking, and jazz—was well-received and would become a lasting tradition.

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