Jerash festival moves to capital for ‘Amman Evenings’

AMMAN —The 31st Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts concluded in the ancient Greco-Roman city on Saturday, and will move to Amman for a series of concerts, the festival director said. 

Singers from across the region were set to perform on the closing day in Jerash, alongside exhibitions showcasing handicrafts, local food and other traditional produce, said Mohammad Abu Summaqa, executive director of the festival. 

Activities will resume at 8.30pm at the Royal Cultural Centre in Amman on Sunday, Abu Summaqa said in a statement. 

The “Amman Evenings” are an important part of the Jerash festival, he added, explaining that the concert series aims to bring together Jordanian and Arab artists in coordination with the Jordanian Artists Association (JAA).  

Artists from Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, and Cuba will perform in the capital, and the concerts will feature solo performances on cello and piano as well as singing and religious music.  

The final concert will take place on August 6. Organised by the JAA, it will feature several Jordanian singers, Abu Summaqa said. 

Several international, Arab and Jordanian musicians performed in Jerash over the past ten days, drawing large audiences to the ancient city’s theatres. 

The Jerash festival is an annual celebration of local, Arabic and international culture during the summer. It is held in the ancient Greco-Roman city of Jerash, known in old times as Gerasa, and located some 48km north of Amman.

In 2011, the government revived the festival, which was first launched in 1981, after a four-year suspension.

In 2008, authorities had launched the Jordan Festival, a nationwide theme-oriented event under which the Jerash festival became a component, a move that faced bitter criticism from fans, artists and associations.