The end of last week in Almaty turned out to be genuinely scorching – like a movie blending drama and mysticism...

An energy apocalypse struck the metropolis and surrounding regions. For several hours, the city ground to a halt. Internet outages. Water supply cut off. Traffic lights went dark, causing chaos, gridlock, and bewilderment. At intersections without police presence, ordinary citizens stepped in to direct traffic, holding plastic water bottles instead of batons. Panic gripped those trapped in elevators and on the Shymbulak cable car. The subway stopped. Passengers evacuated underground tunnels on foot along the tracks – in pitch darkness.

A statement from the Ministry of Energy appeared: the cause of the accident was a sharp power surge in the energy system, triggered by a change in electricity flow from the Central Asian energy grid, which activated the emergency protection automation.

In the hot, dry weather, those hours felt endless to everyone.

WHY THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE

The stated technical cause – a "power surge" – paints a perfectly clear picture in plain language: the region's energy system is operating at its absolute limit. Recently, Almaty has seen mass power outages amid an anomalous heatwave exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and record loads on the power grid.

Thus, the mid-August blackout is no longer an isolated failure but a symptom of a confluence of accumulated problems. These include aging network infrastructure, rising energy consumption in a sprawling, uncontrolled metropolis – exacerbated by the time zone change – and heavy dependence on a unified regional energy system, where an accident in one location can reverberate across several countries simultaneously.

Naturally, the reaction of Almaty residents on that tense, stifling day was predictable. Amid the collapse, social media once again echoed with emotionally charged, harsh grievances: why have city authorities become preoccupied with cosmetic work, paving the city in concrete and porcelain stoneware? Why not channel that seemingly boundless energy and enormous funds into ensuring the basic reliability of power supply – both externally and internally – by upgrading and maintaining substations and cable lines in proper technical condition?

By paying ever-rising utility bills, the public is not merely a consumer but essentially a customer of all necessary works to maintain the energy infrastructure – from KEGOC's main transmission lines, as the national operator, down to the condition of urban distribution networks serviced by Alatau Zharyk Company.

The crux of the matter is this: if the city and all other executive authorities are promoting a total "aesthetic" makeover of the city, then the issue is not a lack of resources but rather the priorities in allocating them.

One can tolerate the absence of a flowerbed or cracks in the asphalt, but an energy collapse is a matter of the system's very functionality – and the authorities that allowed this outrage to happen.

CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS

Transparency in budgeting and priorities is not solely the responsibility of energy companies and city officials. There are also deputies of the city maslikhat (local assembly), whom the public has entrusted to represent and defend their interests and aspirations. At this stage, greater public activism from them would be welcome – to demonstrate how much is actually being invested in modernizing networks and substations compared to expenditures on cosmetic beautification. This would shift the debate from emotional to factual and might alleviate citizens' distrust and justified indignation.

The issue at hand is investment in backup equipment. The widespread traffic-light failures have shown that critical infrastructure – including intersections, the subway, hospitals – must have independent power sources and rapid switching systems to backup power. People need to know that the authorities are proactively monitoring the modernization of distribution networks, rather than reacting after the next accident. Upgrades to energy capacity must take into account Almaty's unprecedented population growth and climate anomalies, as well as the increasing load during heatwaves.

Global changes necessitate diversification and greater flexibility in the regional energy system, so as not to depend on force majeure circumstances in neighboring countries. One option could be, for instance, the establishment of an independent emergency backup generator as a separate municipal utility.

Many see the solution in transitioning to alternative renewable energy sources, proposing an urgent rollout of solar panels in the city. In developed countries, this is already a familiar and everyday reality. Why not build a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in the foothills of Almaty, harnessing mountain water flows?

Also essential are prompt, clear explanations of the measures being taken as part of ongoing public communication, to reduce panic and the spread of rumors. Officials need to move toward open communication with residents, especially during emergencies, rather than resorting to dry, laconic official statements.

Energy is a critical infrastructure for any state. Any failure on the scale we witnessed raises questions. Why was an organization as powerful as KEGOC – and the entire energy system as a whole – unable to localize the failure, let alone prevent it entirely, by immediately activating a "Plan B," drawing on reserve capacities, and ensuring protection against such accidents? What officials from the responsible agencies will be held accountable?

In short, the blackout must serve as a serious impetus for an honest conversation about the fundamental priorities in infrastructure that determine the city's viability – and why that infrastructure is being modernized more slowly than the infamous paving stones are being replaced.

And until this conversation is translated into concrete figures and commitments, public criticism will resurface after every subsequent outage. After all, identifying a problem is one thing; beginning to address it systematically, competently, and with proper stewardship is an entirely different area of responsibility.

THE EVENT OF THAT DAY

The blackout was closely intertwined with the grandiose event of Kanye West's concert. Almaty had been preparing for this occasion: police deployments, street closures, a pompous airport welcome with traditional dances. And expensive tickets.

But as they say, the Almighty had other plans. The closer the appointed hour, the greater the hype. Fans were flying in by plane, including from abroad. But something went wrong. The blackout struck. Then, finally, the long-awaited lights came back on. Inspired audiences began converging on the stadium hours before the show. However, the night sky was suddenly slashed by bright zigzags of lightning. Thunder rumbled. Rain poured down. Remarkably, these natural cataclysms had not appeared in any weather forecast. Mysticism?

Suddenly, a squall of wind swept through. The hurricane crumpled the spherical structure intended as the singer's main stage set.

Organizers activated microphones to loudly announce the situation to those gathered. But not a single announcement was made in the state language. This drew complaints from the audience, as did the decision to postpone the concert. Many out-of-town visitors held return tickets for morning flights. Yet refunds were impossible – the tickets were non-refundable.

These are some unfortunate details against the backdrop of this controversial artist's scandalous fame. Embarking on his major world tour, "Ye Live Concert Tour," this year in support of his album Bully, he has faced a wave of concert cancellations in several countries. Despite having a multi-million-strong audience and record-breaking revenues, he has suddenly acquired the public status of an unwelcome guest. The reason lies in his overtly anti-Semitic statements, his public self-identification as a Nazi – confirmed by the clothing line featuring swastikas and the song "Heil Hitler."

Thus, in 2026, the stage door has been closed to him in many countries. For instance, the UK, Poland, Switzerland, and Italy have canceled his concerts; Australia has outright banned his entry. This was explained by public safety concerns, protests, and a simple unwillingness to bear reputational risks.

Here, nature itself protested. And many saw this as a sign from above. So he appeared before the public on August 15, on his second attempt. At the entrance, some ticket holders encountered issues – their tickets had already been activated by someone else. But some attendees had a thoroughly enjoyable time – after all, people today are starved for celebration and emotion. It's no secret that the show was carried by special effects and pyrotechnics.

A considerable portion of the audience expressed dissatisfaction, voicing the opinion that the performer didn't even greet the audience – he came in silence and left in silence. And that he was lip-syncing: "He only made occasional sounds himself. The songs were pre-recorded; he didn't even try to pretend he was singing. He only brought the microphone to his mouth occasionally for shouts." Another criticism emerged: "Why did the city host an artist that the rest of the world has rejected? The organizers' lack of discernment in choosing stars for tours in our country raises many questions. It seems they fully endorse the singer's Nazi rhetoric and approve of his scandalous behavior," read comments on social media.

Coincidentally, August 15 marked the 96th birthday of the outstanding Kazakh composer Shamshi Kaldayakov. According to the official website of the Astana city administration, "large-scale musical events were held in Astana to mark the composer's birthday. His immortal works were performed at city venues and on social media, uniting representatives of different generations."

Almaty's official websites were silent on this occasion. Yet the Central Stadium was booming – but for a different reason...

Akmaral ABDULOVA