The Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts marked its 40th edition on July 22, celebrating four decades of Jordanian heritage and cultural expression. The event, held in the ancient city of Jerash, embraced the theme “A Legacy That Lives On... Generations Meet,” highlighting Jordan’s historical roots while fostering engagement between different generations and cultures.
The festival is a flagship cultural initiative that underscores Jordan’s narrative of its land, people, and national identity. It serves as a platform for artistic creativity and cultural dialogue, bringing together performers from Jordan and the broader Arab world. This year’s edition formed part of a broader national project titled “The Jordanian Narrative... The Story of the Land and Its People,” designed to document and promote Jordan’s rich civilizational heritage.
Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Festival’s Higher Committee, Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh, emphasized the festival’s role in preserving and communicating Jordan’s cultural legacy. Yazan Al-Khudair, Executive Director of the festival, described the event as a vital element of Arab cultural memory that continuously reinvents itself while maintaining authenticity.
The opening ceremony took place at Jerash’s North Theater, where Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan, representing King Abdullah II, lit the festival torch. The ceremony featured an artistic chronicle tracing the evolution of Jordanian music—from pioneers like the late Abdo Mousa and Samira Tawfiq to contemporary artists such as Omar Al-Abdallat, Hussein Al-Salman, Aziz Maraka, Nidaa Sharara, and Essam Al-Najjar. These performances blended traditional melodies and modern influences, symbolizing the festival’s generational theme.
Technological enhancements played a significant role in this year’s celebrations, including the use of 3D projection on Hadrian’s Arch and a state-of-the-art Hippodrome Theater with seating for around 3,000 spectators. Infrastructure upgrades also included improvements to the Oval Plaza, aiming to enhance visitor comfort, and the transformation of the historic Cardo Street into an “Art Walk” featuring open-air exhibitions, live painting, music, and caricature performances.
In keeping with its longstanding mission to support economic development and community empowerment, the festival expanded its handicrafts market, showcasing handmade goods, traditional embroidery, and local food products. The market, with broad participation from women artisans, reinforces the festival’s commitment to promoting Jordanian craftsmanship and empowering local communities.
Organized through collaboration among government agencies, security forces, and public-private partnerships, the 40th Jerash Festival underscored Jordan’s resilience amid regional challenges. It reaffirmed the country’s role as a regional cultural leader, using soft power to unite Jordanians and Arabs through shared heritage and artistic expression.