The first festival of local brands, Astana Pop Up Store, concluded in Astana, becoming one of the largest events in the creative industries sector. Over two days, more than 15,000 residents and guests of the capital visited the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, over 50 local brands from different regions of Kazakhstan presented their products, and the total sales volume exceeded 50 million tenge, confirming the high demand for domestic creative products.

The festival was organized by the Almaty Pop Up Store team, which has been successfully developing the country's largest festival of local brands in Almaty for 13 years. The Corporate Fund "Creative Industries Development Fund" (Qazaq Creative) became the co-organizer of the project. The event was held with the support of the Akimat of Astana.

For two days, visitors got acquainted with designer clothing, accessories, jewelry, interior items, natural cosmetics, household goods, and other products from domestic manufacturers. Festival guests were able not only to purchase items they liked but also to personally communicate with designers and brand creators, learn the stories behind the projects, and evaluate the quality of domestic creative products.

Astana Pop Up Store became a space that united creativity, entrepreneurship, and modern urban culture. Within the framework of the festival, Moldanazar, Asiya, Torearyq, Yez, and Oeleye performed, and the rich program was complemented by DJ music sets, a gastronomic zone, special partner projects, prize draws, the ARGYMAQ local brand competition, and various interactive activities.

One of the brightest events of the festival was the summing up of the ARGYMAQ Select competition, designed to support promising domestic brands. The winner of the competition, based on open voting, was the AQ QAIYN brand, which presented a modern interpretation of the traditional Kazakh chapan. A special prize from Astana Pop Up Store - participation in the festival in Almaty, which will take place on September 5–6 - was awarded to the Steppe Soul brand, whose products received high praise from the jury and guests of the event. The organizers thanked all participants of the competition, noting that it was their ideas, talent, and bold projects that made ARGYMAQ one of the most striking events of the festival.

For many designers and manufacturers, Astana Pop Up Store became a record-breaking trading platform, allowing them to significantly expand their client base, establish new business contacts, and confirm the high interest of buyers in domestic creative products.

Support for participants will continue after the festival concludes. For the first time, the Kazakh AI startup ImAI partnered with the project, which will help designers and manufacturers develop online sales, build effective communication with clients, and implement modern digital tools for business development. Thus, Astana Pop Up Store becomes not only a platform for presenting and selling products but also an entry point into a modern digital ecosystem for supporting local brands.

The successful launch of Astana Pop Up Store confirmed the high interest in domestic brands and the demand for such initiatives among entrepreneurs and a wide audience. The festival opened new opportunities for promoting local manufacturers, strengthening business ties, and developing creative entrepreneurship, laying the foundation for the establishment of a new annual platform in the capital that brings together the best representatives of the domestic creative industry.