'The Promise Continues': Jerash Festival to start on Wednesday

AMMAN — Under Royal patronage, the 38th Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts is scheduled to open at 7 pm on Wednesday under the theme: The Promise Continues.

This year's festival marks the silver jubilee of His Majesty King Abdullah's assumption of his constitutional powers and expresses solidarity with Palestinians, who have endured a genocidal war since October 7 by Israeli occupation forces.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Northern Theatre in Jerash, featuring national performances celebrating the Kingdom's history and its pivotal role in supporting Palestine. 

Art, cultural, intellectual and folklore shows will commence at noon on Thursday.

The festival includes an intellectual and cultural programme, featuring poetry evenings with poets from Jordan and the Arab world, a conference on the "renewal of renaissance thought," and a forum on short stories. 

Artists known for their patriotic songs will also perform, alongside an elite group of Jordanian artists.

The festival will also showcase art, cultural, and folkloric activities from Palestine, including performances by poet Abdullah Issa, singer Sana Moussa, and the Soul Band from the Gaza Strip.

Director of the Jerash Festival, Ayman Samawi, announced on Sunday that the Southern Theatre's activities will be cancelled for the first time in 40 years in solidarity with Gaza.

Samawi mentioned the presence of donation boxes, at the entrance to the archaeological city, from the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) for those wishing to donate 1 JD to Palestinians in Gaza. 

The festival will also empower hundreds of local women by allowing them to sell their products directly to festival visitors, alongside hundreds of craftspeople and nearly 1,000 participants from various art fields, including heritage groups, musical bands and theatrical performances, he said.