The Spring of Culture Festival returns as a key player propelling the artistic and cultural movement in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Widely celebrated since its launch in 2006, the Spring of Culture continues to curate a lineup with an exciting range of events and activities. Not only does this international seasonal event bridge global cultural communication, the Spring of Culture also highlights the various cultural institutions, historical sites, and landmarks within the Kingdom.

Coinciding National Action Charter Day, the Spring of Culture Festival will launch at the Bahrain National Theatre with the distinguished Ahmed Al Jumairi in “Yal Zaina”, accompanied by the Bahrain Music Band led by Maestro Zeyad Zaiman. The National Theatre will also present a concert by one of the most distinguished orchestras in the Netherlands, the Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, accompanied by the celebrated Turkish pianist Hüseyin Sermet.

Al Dana Amphitheatre will host the King of Waltz, world-famous violinist André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, in an enchanting evening that presents classical and international musical masterpieces. In addition, Al Dana Amphitheatre will be presenting a not-to-be-missed concert by Jack Harlow, and a hilarious comedy show by Kevin Hart.

Early into the festival season, film aficionados will enjoy the Japan Film Festival 2023 at the Bahrain National Museum Auditorium over a two-day course.

Discover various archaeological sites north of Bahrain, starting from UNESCO Qal’at Al Bahrain Site with the Archaeologies Walkathon. Children will have the opportunity to discover the archaeological pieces and sites in Bahrain with The Little Archaeologist program. Re-experience Bahrain’s first UNESCO site with Bahrain’s acclaimed musical band Majaz for an interactive performance with musical visuals, which will take place at the Qal’at Al Bahrain Site Museum.

Albareh Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition entitled Mutation by Mohammed AlMahdi, which explores the concept of hybridization. The gallery will also host an exhibition by fine artist Nabeela Al Khayer. The Living Sea exhibition at the Bahrain National Museum, held in collaboration with Focused on Nature, a Swiss association created to promote awareness of environmental causes, is part of the festival program as well.

The House of Architectural Heritage will host artist Hala Mohammed Al Khalifa’s exhibition entitled 47 Layers, which comprises 47 artworks exploring the soul experiences and places that we find ourselves in, navigating various paths in search of clarity and comfort. The Memory of the Place – Bin Matar House hosts artist Abdulrahim Sharif for his exhibition What Night Does II.

Other exhibitions taking place as part of the Spring of Culture include the Features of Bahraini Civilization exhibition at Seef Mall. The Art Centre will host Dr. Mayasa Al Sowaidi’s The Golden Ratio exhibition, and the IB Visual Arts Exhibition by Shaikha Hessa Girls School students. Additionally, the Art Concept venue will host Egyptian artists Fadwa Ramadan for her Beyond Languages II exhibition, as well as Salah El-Meligy’s Treinta Caras de la Luna exhibition.

Al Riwaq Art Space unveil a unique symposium entitled Design Symposium which reflects on the future of design practices in Bahrain; in addition to hosting a series of workshops and courses dedicated to the youth. Also, Al Riwaq Art Space will host Application 001 exhibition, showcasing the works of the first group of the residency program at the Bank House.

Immersive culinary experiences, part of the Muharraq Supper Club initiative, will take place at four different venues within the World Heritage Site “Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy”: Qal’at Bu Mahir, the Murad House, the Pearling Path Visitors Centre, and the Archaeologies of Green Pavilion. There will be an Escooter tour of the Pearling Path, enabling participants to explore the 3.5 kilometers of Bahrain’s second UNESCO World Heritage site in an unconventional way.

There are many folkloric performative events taking place this festival season, immortalizing elements of traditional Bahrain’s past, including, but not limited to, Shabab Al Hidd Band at Dar Al Muharraq and Dar Shabab Al Riffa Band at Dar Al Riffa. The weekly Mohammed Bin Faris Band performances are not to be missed, every Thursday at the Mohammed Bin Faris Music Hall.

A myriad of other musical experiences are part of the agenda this year from the American Brass-A-Holics concert to the classical and operatic An Italian Journey, both to be held at the Cultural Hall. Ala Ghawas will serenade audiences at the aforementioned venue with a selection of songs, both Arabic and English, released throughout his 15 years-long career.

In collaboration with the Embassy of India, an energetic musical performance of Islamic Sufi poetry will take place at the Cultural Hall entitled Qawwali Nights. The venue will also host Aromas del Sur and Diego Valdivia from Spain and Omar Rahbany & the Passport Chamber Ensemble from Lebanon.

In commemoration of Arab Poetry Day, the Bahrain National Museum will host a poetry event entitled Celebrating Arab & World Poetry Day that all literary lovers will enjoy for an expressive and festive evening. The House of Poetry – Ebrahim Al Arrayed will host the Faster Than Light. Slower Than Wind. Poetry event by Jordanian poet and academic Eman Abdulhadi, as well as Jordanian-Palestinian writer and poet Rashid Issa’s poetry event entitled Sea in a Bottle.

A series of lectures from various nations will take place, offering a rich cultural perspective to those interested in attending. These lectures include Dr. Bouchaib Saouri’s lecture on the experiences of travel literature throughout the ages entitled The Arab Journey at the Beginning of the Third Millennium: Constants and Transformations to be held at the Bahrain Writers Association.

From South Korea, Her Excellency Ms. Kang Kyung-Wha will lecture on the topic of women’s leadership, rom Tunisia, Amira Ghoneim hosts a lecture entitled Women & Citizenship, the Case of Tunisia & Other Examples from the Maghreb Region, and from France the Director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi Mr. Manuel Rabaté discusses Reframing a Universal Museum in the 21st Century, all taking place at Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research.

Other lectures part of the Spring of Culture include the Philosophy in the Arab World & Development Policies by Saudi Arabian researcher and thinker Fahad Al-Shaqran and The Real Division in the Region by Lebanese media personality Nadim Quteish, both at the Abdullah Al Zayed House for Bahraini Press Heritage. A series of informal discussions between local, regional, and international urban planners, architects, sociologists, and others to discuss Muharraq in Pearling Path Squares will take place under the Muharraq Talks initiative.