Under the slogan "A Legacy That Endures... Generations That Meet," the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts in Jordan is preparing to light its fortieth torch on July 22, in an exceptional edition celebrating four decades of Arab cultural and artistic radiance. After forty years of giving, the festival continues to cement its status as one of the region's most prestigious cultural gatherings, uniting the historical grandeur of Jerash's ancient amphitheatres with a modern spirit in its artistic programming.
This year's edition features a massive program of more than 212 artistic, cultural, heritage, and family events, with broad Arab and international participation reflecting the diversity of the Arab cultural scene. In a step confirming the festival's evolution into a comprehensive cultural space extending beyond the city of Jerash, this year's events are spread across the ancient city and several cultural centers in the capital Amman, as well as the governorates of Ajloun, Balqa, Karak, and Aqaba, bringing the celebration to a wider audience across the Kingdom.
Major Concert Lineup: Arab World Stars Light Up the Southern Theatre
This year, the festival presents a unique artistic lineup bringing together major stars of Arab Tarab alongside popular young names. The program opens on July 23 with a grand artistic launch featuring Lebanese diva Magida El Roumi, followed on July 24 by the global spectacular "One Thousand and One Nights" performed by the renowned Lebanese Caracalla Dance Theatre. The evenings continue with the sultan of Tarab George Wassouf on July 25, then the first-ever meeting between Egyptian star Ahmed Saad and the Jerash audience on July 26.
On July 27, the grand musical theatrical production "Umm Kulthum," conceived and written by Dr. Medhat El Adl, will be presented, followed by a heritage evening by the Sons of the Mountains ensemble of the International Academy of Circassian Culture on July 28. The evenings continue with an authentic Gulf night hosted by veteran artist Abadi Al Johar on July 29, then a romantic Lebanese-Jordanian evening bringing together star Elissa and artist Diana Karazon on July 30.
On July 31, a youth-focused evening will bring together, for the first time, rising Syrian star Al Shami and artist Line Hayek, followed on August 1 by a refined musical evening featuring Marwan Khoury and Abeer Nehme, before the festival closes on August 2 with a grand public concert featuring Egyptian generation star Tamer Hosny.
A Broad Intellectual and Cultural Movement
Alongside music, Jerash Festival 2026 reinforces its intellectual dimension through a series of major forums and symposia, in cooperation with the Jordanian Writers Association, the Jordanian Writers and Authors Union, and Dar Al Shi'r (House of Poets). These activities include forums on literature and place, an Arab narrative forum, symposia on the history of the city of Jerash, alongside poetry and critical evenings opening in-depth discussions on Arab cultural identity.
Through this blend of musical art and critical thought, Jerash Festival, in its golden jubilee, affirms that it is not merely a passing artistic season but an annual cultural milestone that reconnects the past with the present and opens the door for new generations to discover their artistic and literary heritage.
