New rules for music and film in KazakhstanCEFR B1
15 Mar 2026
Adapted from Vlast.kz, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Bagzhan Sadvakassov, Unsplash
Kazakhstan's music scene has expanded rapidly, and some musicians have referenced the January 2022 protests known as Qandy Qantar. The singer Yenlik has also gained international attention as the first Kazakhstani to appear on the German platform COLORS.
On February 18 President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed amendments to the law on creative industries. From April 20 both foreign and domestic artists who wish to hold concerts must meet new requirements. Event contracts will include clauses about permitted material and Article 9-1 forbids a wide range of content, including anything "contrary to accepted societal norms, morals and ethics," as well as material concerning suicide, drugs or pornography.
People in the music industry warn the rules risk a new era of censorship. The hip-hop group Daiynball said their song "Qazaq eline +1," which mentions Qandy Qantar, could be affected. Concert director Yerkin Yerali and manager George Karakeshishyan said artists will need more legal understanding and that teams may edit lyrics or refuse release if violations are found. The law also lengthens film pre-release review times, a change observers say could weaken artistic freedom and limit cultural exports.
Difficult words
- amendment — a written change to a law or ruleamendments
- creative industry — businesses that make cultural or artistic productscreative industries
- clause — a section of a legal contract or lawclauses
- forbid — to say something must not be doneforbids
- censorship — control of information or artistic expression
- lyric — the written words that singers performlyrics
- pre-release review — official check before a film becomes public
- artistic freedom — ability for artists to create without limits
- cultural export — art or culture sold or shown abroadcultural exports
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could the new rules change the concerts you might attend? Give one or two examples.
- Do you think limits on material about suicide, drugs or pornography are reasonable for concerts? Why or why not?
- How might longer film pre-release review times affect films being shown in other countries?
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