On Saturday, September 12, 2026, Elista is holding a full-day program for the city's 161st anniversary. RIA Kalmykia published the rundown on September 8 and was still featuring it on September 11. Sports start at 10:00 a.m. at the Nadezhda sports complex with a mini-football tournament named for the head of the city administration. A billiards cup in memory of Nikolai Orzaev opens at the same hour. At noon, a power-extreme contest called Medved-2026 is set for Victory Square in Druzhba Park.
A children's stroller parade, themed "Russia - This Is Me," is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Gorodovikova Street. Poetry readings titled "Elista Poetic" are listed for 2:00 p.m. in the Kugultinov and Pushkin squares.
The heritage centerpiece is a 3:00 p.m. procession in Kalmyk and other national costumes, "City Day: Elista 161." The route starts at the Central Khurul, the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, and walks Yu. Klykova Street to the Pagoda of Seven Days. Children's art-school performances follow at 3:30 p.m. A concert, "Songs About Elista," is listed for 4:00 p.m. Evening honors on Victory Square at 6:30 p.m. include Honorary Citizen awards and winners of "Person of the Year" and "Elista Tourist." The night is slated to close at 8:00 p.m. with the group Pesni Kochevnikov (Songs of Nomads).
Some calendars still list official Elista City Day on the third Saturday of September, which in 2026 is September 19, often paired with the City of Friendship festival.