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2024

The third edition of Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts in the Aseer region from January 20 to 27, 2024. The festival will showcase 45 local and international groups performing 40 different Saudi and global mountain art forms, highlighting the beauty of global traditional performance arts.


The third edition of Qemam International Festival will offer a diverse range of activities, including opening and closing ceremonies held at King Khalid University Theater in Abha. Additionally, there will be two parades along Prince Sultan Road in Khamis Mushait featuring performances by 20 Saudi groups from seven regions of the Kingdom, as well as 25 international performance arts groups showcasing their mountain inspired attire.


The festival will also have a diverse cultural program at Abha Literary Club, which includes interactive cultural seminars and workshops presented by local and international experts. These activities will introduce visitors to the history of mountain arts and dresses, as well as traditional artistic professions such as sculpting and Sadu weaving. The festival will be held across eight heritage sites with deep historical roots, which are Basta Al-Qabil, Bin Hamasan Village, Shamsan Castle, Bin Adwan Heritage Village, Malik Historical Palace, Al-Mushait Palaces, Al-Abu Sarrah Palaces, and The Castles of Abu Nuqata Al-Mutahami. Each site will be equipped with stages for the performance arts shows and display traditional mountain performance attires.

Qemam International Festival

for Mountain Performance Arts
the 9th and 10th of February 2024

A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival

Qemam International Festival

for Mountain Performance Arts

The second edition of the Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts 2023 is under way in Abha, Saudi Arabia, organised by SAMIT Event Group.

The festival is taking place in eight villages in the south-west region of Asir, around the cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait, and runs until Friday. Celebrations began with a carnival parade on Art Street and a concert by Lebanese singer Najwa Karam at King Khalid University.

The Qemam International Festival, launched by the kingdom's Theatre and Performing Arts Commission, brings together 16 Saudi and 14 international folk artist groups and is a “cultural spectacle dedicated to mountain performing arts”, Sultan Al-Bazie, chief executive of the commission

The eight-day festival will feature 32 performances by folk groups from India, China, Morocco, South Korea and Switzerland. The festival aims to explore the history, artistry and practice of mountain performing arts, highlighting the cultural significance of each group.

Also on display will be traditional wedding dance performances, live cooking, alongside gifts and an artisans’ bazaar.

2023

A young boy performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A group of girls dancing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A young girl and her pal young man  performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
tradition outlook artist
a traditional dancer  A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
group of boys performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
a group of boys performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A young girl dance  a traditional at the Qemam Festival
A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
girls  performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A group girls performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
team at the Qemam Festival
A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
A young girl performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
girl groups performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
a goupmof  performing a traditional dance at the Qemam Festival
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