The event commenced on Wednesday in the ancient city of Jerash, 45km north of Jordan's capital Amman.

`After the harrowing pandemic pause, the famous Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts is back in Jordan as the 35th edition kicks off in the region. The event commenced on Wednesday in the ancient city of Jerash, 45km north of Jordan’s capital Amman.

With the commencement of the event, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh lit the torch of the festival, announcing the launch of the activities.

Minister of Culture Ali Al Ayed was also present during the opening ceremony who shared his joy on the return of the event and said that the Jerash Festival is a return to joy and brilliance after a long absence.

The 11-day festival features a rich program of poetry, singing, dancing, and theatrical performances by Jordanian, Arab and international folklore groups.

Under the slogan of ‘Jerash—Decorated with Joy’, this year’s festival will see the participation of more than 70 Jordanian and Arab artists, traditional Jordanian, Arab and international folk troupes, and a number of poetic and literary figures.

This year, the kingdom is also celebrating its centenary year, and on that note, the festival’s higher committee has exempted attendees from entry fees, except for the concerts of Arab stars who will perform on the southern stage.

The event that will go on till October 2, will see Arab stars like Najwa Karam from Lebanon, George Wassouf and Hussein Al Deek from Syria and Saif Nabeel from Iraq for the event.

The festival will also witness the participation of Jordanian artists like Zain Awad, Linda Hijazi, Hussein Salman, Saad Abu Tayeh, Bashar Sarhan, Yahya Sweis, Najm Salman, Ghaleb Khoury, Yazan Sabbagh, Samer Anwar, Nancy Petro, Osama Jabour and Tawfiq Al Dalou.