12 Hours of Literary and Cultural Events at Newmag Winter Fest 2025 (Photos)

On February 16, Newmag’s annual Winter Fest 2025 took place at Dvin Music Hall, bringing together book lovers, bestselling authors, and cultural enthusiasts. The festival opened with a performance by the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia, setting the tone for a day filled with literature, music, and artistic discussions.

 Newmag Winter Fest 2025 Main Sponsors:

• Ardshinbank
• Samsung, featuring its Galaxy S25 AI smartphone
• Profal company
• Business Park
• Cinema Star Armenia

• Festival Sponsors:

  • Indigo Branding Company
  • Schweppes
  • Karl Max Food Service

Edgar Avetisyan, General Director of Profal, which has been the festival’s main sponsor for the second consecutive year, expressed his enthusiasm for the growing popularity of the event:

"It’s exciting to see so many people, especially young readers, proving that books remain a beloved pastime, regardless of profession or interest. Newmag plays a key role in making reading an engaging experience. We are grateful for the opportunity to support such an inspiring festival."

He emphasized the importance of reading in fostering creativity and innovation:

"At Profal, we believe that to create a high-quality product, continuous learning and self-improvement are essential. Talent alone is not enough; you need to read, explore, and be open to new knowledge. This is the formula for success, and we encourage young people to follow it."

Valya Yeghiazaryan, Director of Marketing at Business Park, also welcomed festival visitors and announced an exciting initiative:

"Dear readers and colleagues, today we celebrate the love of books. Business Park stands with Newmag in creating unforgettable experiences. Soon, we will open a large library where we will host author meetings and reading discussions."

For the first time, Samsung joined the festival with its Galaxy S25 AI smartphone. The company’s welcome speech was delivered by Narek Amirkhanyan, founder and host of the “Rearrange” podcast and a good friend of Samsung.

"Thank you, Newmag, for this amazing event. All day long, we will be showcasing Samsung’s new smartphones at our booth and participating in a panel discussion on emerging technologies."

CEO of Newmag Publishing House Artak Aleksanyan expressed gratitude to Tovmasyan Foundation, the festival’s co-organizer, as well as all the partners who contributed to making this winter’s festival a literary and cultural celebration:

"We frequently meet with our partners to exchange ideas and collaborate. I extend my sincere thanks to Ardshinbank, our long-time supporters and to Samsung, our newest partner. Intelligence, whether human or artificial, is cultivated by thinkers who share their insights through books. I hope this marks the beginning of a lasting collaboration between Samsung and Newmag."

He also highlighted the festival’s expanding network of partners:

"We are honored to have Profal as a committed partner once again. Business Park has joined us this year, and I am confident this is just the beginning of a strong partnership. One of our most unexpected yet exciting collaborations is with Cinema Star Armenia—thanks to this, Winter Fest videos have been screened before every movie in all Cinema Star theaters."

The festival concluded with an exciting announcement from Gnel Nalbandyan, Editor-in-Chief of Newmag Publishing House. He introduced a new literary competition, co-organized by Newmag and the Tovmasyan Charitable Foundation:

"Together, we have created the most cultural event in Yerevan and beyond. Now, we are launching a new literary award for young writers under 35. We invite all aspiring authors to submit their works."

The winner of the competition will be selected by a jury, and Newmag will publish the winning book, with its official presentation set for Newmag Winter Fest 2026.