The History and Cultural Significance of Jerash Festival
The Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts has brought music, theatre, poetry, dance and heritage performance to Jerash since 1981.
Its importance comes not only from the artists it presents, but from the meeting of contemporary cultural expression with the ancient city of Gerasa.
In 2026, the festival reaches its 40th edition, according to the official description of the opening-night performance published on Jordan’s official events calendar. The 2026 edition runs from 23 July to 2 August.
Information checked: 22 July 2026
Historical programs, performers and attendance figures should be supported by dated official or archival sources. Details from one festival edition should not automatically be applied to another.
For current visitor information, start with the complete Jerash Festival guide or view the 2026 schedule and official tickets.
Jerash Festival at a Glance
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Official name | Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts |
| Arabic name | مهرجان جرش للثقافة والفنون |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Location | Jerash, Jordan |
| Historical setting | Ancient Gerasa |
| 2026 edition | 40th edition |
| Main cultural fields | Music, theatre, dance, poetry, folklore and crafts |
| 2026 dates | 23 July–2 August |
| Current venues | North Theatre and South Theatre |
What Is the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts?
Jerash Festival is an annual Jordanian cultural event staged in Jerash.
Its program changes with every edition but has included Jordanian, Arab and international music alongside theatre, poetry, dance, folkloric performance, handicrafts and other cultural activities.
It should not be described simply as a series of celebrity concerts.
Major singers attract significant attention, but the festival’s wider cultural value also includes:
- Jordanian musicians
- Independent Arab artists
- Choral and orchestral performances
- Dance companies
- Theatre productions
- Folkloric ensembles
- Poetry and literary activity
- Traditional crafts
- Cultural exchange
This combination allows the festival to connect established artistic traditions with contemporary forms of expression.
When Did Jerash Festival Begin?
Jerash Festival was founded in 1981.
The Royal Jordanian overview of Jerash Festival records the founding year and describes a program involving folklore, ballet, concerts, plays, opera, singers and traditional handicrafts.
The festival has become one of Jordan’s most recognisable cultural events, although its format, size and program have changed over time.
Not every calendar year necessarily produced a numbered festival edition. This explains how the event can trace its foundation to 1981 while the 2026 festival is officially described as the 40th edition.
When writing about previous editions, use archived programs or official reporting. Do not assume continuous annual operation or invent missing dates.
Why Is the Festival Held in Jerash?
Jerash was known in antiquity as Gerasa. It became one of the cities of the Decapolis and flourished under Roman rule.
The surviving city includes:
- Ancient theatres
- Temples
- Colonnaded streets
- Public plazas
- Monumental gates
- Fountains
- Baths
- Religious buildings from later periods
The official Visit Jordan guide to Jerash describes the city as approximately 45 kilometres north of Amman and highlights the interaction between Graeco-Roman and Arab traditions visible in its history and architecture.
During the festival, the ancient theatres return to their historical function as spaces for public gathering and live performance.
That relationship between place and performance is one of Jerash Festival’s strongest cultural assets.
The North and South Theatres
The ancient theatres are central to both the archaeological city and the modern festival.
The 2026 program uses the North Theatre and South Theatre for different performances, often on the same evening.
Their role gives festival audiences an experience that cannot be recreated in a conventional indoor concert hall. Visitors are not only watching a performance; they are experiencing it inside a historical urban landscape designed partly for public assembly and entertainment.
However, the theatres should not be treated as simple event venues.
They form part of a protected archaeological site, and performances held within them carry responsibilities related to:
- Audience movement
- Production equipment
- Lighting
- Sound
- Waste management
- Seating
- Emergency access
- Protection of ancient stonework
Visitors should follow barriers, designated routes and instructions from authorised staff.
Music at Jerash Festival
Music has long been one of the most visible elements of the festival.
Across its different editions, Jerash has hosted performers from Jordan and the wider Arab world, alongside international artists and ensembles.
The 2026 program illustrates the festival’s musical range.
Major Arab Singers
The program includes established Arab performers such as:
- Majida El Roumi
- George Wassouf
- Ahmed Saad
- Abadi Al Johar
- Elissa
- Marwan Khoury
- Abeer Nehme
- Tamer Hosny
These concerts attract large audiences and regional media attention, but they represent only one part of the festival.
Jordanian Music
Jordanian participation in the 2026 program includes:
- Autostrad
- Talal Abu Al Ragheb
- Mosaica Singers
- Octave Band
- Al Shaarawiya Dabke Ensemble
- The National Music Conservatory Orchestra
Supporting Jordanian performers is essential to the festival’s cultural relevance. Without meaningful local participation, it risks becoming only a venue for imported headline entertainment.
Alternative Arab Music
The 2026 edition also includes contemporary alternative performers such as:
- El Morabba3
- El Far3i
- 47SOUL
Their participation connects the festival with younger audiences and contemporary Arab musical movements involving alternative rock, electronic music, hip-hop and cross-genre experimentation.
Cross-Cultural Music
Artists such as Ibrahim Maalouf demonstrate how contemporary Arab identity can interact with jazz, classical music and international musical forms.
Boudchart’s The Choir Is You uses audience participation, while Dorsaf Hamdani presents interpretations connected to classical Arabic musical heritage.
This variety helps prevent Jordanian culture from being presented as something fixed only in the past.
Theatre and Musical Storytelling
Jerash Festival has also provided space for theatrical and musical storytelling.
The 2026 program includes:
- Caracalla Dance Theatre’s One Thousand and One Nights
- The Umm Kulthum Musical
- PHOENIX Fire and Light Show
These productions use combinations of:
- Music
- Choreography
- Costume
- Dramatic narrative
- Stage design
- Lighting
- Visual effects
A modern production inspired by Arab history or storytelling should not automatically be described as an authentic reconstruction of an ancient tradition.
Accurate cultural writing should distinguish between:
- Historical practice
- Living tradition
- Contemporary interpretation
- Commercial entertainment
Poetry and Literary Culture
Poetry and literary activity have formed part of the festival’s broader cultural identity.
Poetry holds a central position within Arabic cultural expression and has historically been performed publicly rather than existing only in written form.
Festival poetry sessions can create space for:
- Jordanian poets
- Arab literary voices
- Spoken-word performance
- Cultural discussion
- Public engagement with Arabic language and literature
However, headline concert schedules may not include the entire literary program.
Current poets, speakers, locations and times should be published only after official confirmation. Past poetry participation does not prove inclusion in the 2026 edition.
Dabkeh and Jordanian Folk Performance
Dabkeh is one of the most recognisable forms of communal dance in Jordan and the wider Levant.
The 2026 festival schedule includes Al Shaarawiya Dabke Ensemble performing with 47SOUL and Octave Band. The combination places traditional dance alongside contemporary music.
This is an example of how festivals can present heritage as a living and adaptable form rather than a static museum display.
Descriptions should remain specific. Not every Jordanian dance, costume or regional performance is identical, and the word “traditional” should not be used without understanding which community or region the performance represents.
Circassian Culture at Jerash Festival
The 2026 program includes the Sons of the Mountains Ensemble of the International Circassian Cultural Academy.
The official description presents the performance through traditional Circassian music, choreography and costumes.
Circassian communities form an important part of Jordan’s social and cultural history. Their participation reflects the diversity within Jordanian identity.
It would be inaccurate to place Circassian performance under a generic label such as “Bedouin folklore.” Different communities have their own histories, music, movement and clothing.
Handicrafts and Local Cultural Production
Traditional handicrafts have been associated with Jerash Festival across different editions.
Depending on the current program, visitors may encounter products or demonstrations connected with:
- Embroidery
- Ceramics
- Jewellery
- Woodwork
- Weaving
- Local food
- Decorative arts
Current exhibitors and craft areas must be confirmed for each edition.
Do not claim that a specific craft vendor is participating because it appeared in an older festival program.
When organised responsibly, craft participation can direct visitor spending toward local producers and preserve practical skills through commercial demand.
Supporting Jordanian Artists and Creative Workers
A major cultural festival can create professional and economic opportunities for:
- Musicians
- Singers
- Actors
- Dancers
- Poets
- Writers
- Craftspeople
- Production crews
- Sound engineers
- Lighting professionals
- Costume designers
- Event organisers
- Photographers
- Local food businesses
- Guides and drivers
However, economic impact should not be exaggerated.
WowJordan should not publish invented figures for visitor spending, employment or local revenue. Stronger evidence would come from interviews with organisers, artists, craftspeople and Jerash businesses.
Jerash Festival and Cultural Tourism
The festival gives visitors a reason to experience northern Jordan through more than archaeology alone.
A cultural visitor can:
- Explore ancient Gerasa during the day.
- Visit museum or visitor facilities.
- Eat in modern Jerash.
- Attend an evening performance.
- Stay locally or return to Amman.
- Combine the trip with Ajloun or another northern destination.
This supports a longer and potentially more valuable visitor journey than a brief stop at the ruins.
Use the guide to things to do in Jerash during the festival to connect the cultural program with a realistic itinerary.
Responsible Cultural Events at Archaeological Sites
Holding major events inside an archaeological setting creates a strong visitor experience, but it must be managed carefully.
Important considerations include:
- Protecting ancient structures
- Controlling audience movement
- Preventing climbing or unauthorised access
- Managing production equipment
- Reducing waste
- Controlling damaging installations
- Protecting emergency routes
- Respecting the surrounding community
Visitors should:
- Follow designated paths
- Avoid touching or climbing protected structures
- Dispose of waste correctly
- Follow photography restrictions
- Respect festival staff
- Avoid blocking routes
- Use authorised seating areas
The archaeological site is not replaceable. Entertainment value should never override heritage protection.
Jerash Festival in Jordan’s Wider Cultural Calendar
Jerash Festival is one of Jordan’s most established cultural events, but it exists within a broader calendar of:
- Film festivals
- Music events
- Theatre
- Heritage celebrations
- Food and community festivals
- Destination events
- Art exhibitions
- Cultural seasons
The official Jordan Tourism Board events calendar provides a central source for current events.
WowJordan’s role should be to add practical travel information, local context, source transparency and connections between events and destinations.
Explore the broader festivals in Jordan guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Jerash Festival founded?
Jerash Festival was founded in 1981. The 2026 festival is officially described as its 40th edition.
Why is Jerash Festival culturally important?
It provides a major public platform for Jordanian, Arab and international music, theatre, dance, poetry and heritage performance inside one of Jordan’s most important historical destinations.
Is Jerash Festival only a music festival?
No. Music is highly visible, but the festival’s broader cultural identity includes theatre, dance, poetry, folklore, crafts and other cultural activities.
What was Jerash called in ancient times?
The ancient city was known as Gerasa and became one of the cities of the Decapolis.
Why are the ancient theatres important?
They connect the historical role of Jerash as a place of public gathering and performance with contemporary cultural production.
Does the same festival program return every year?
No. Performers, productions, venues and activities change with every edition. Current details must be verified against the official program.
Does the festival include Jordanian artists?
Yes. The 2026 program includes Jordanian musicians, bands, singers, orchestral performers and heritage ensembles.
Why is the 2026 festival called the 40th edition?
The festival began in 1981, but not every calendar year necessarily produced a numbered edition. The official 2026 opening-night description identifies it as the 40th edition.
Sources and Editorial Standards
Core sources for this page include:
- Official Visit Jordan guide to Jerash
- Jordan’s official events calendar
- Royal Jordanian overview of Jerash Festival
Historical claims should be reviewed by a named Jordanian cultural or heritage specialist.
Future updates should add:
- Original WowJordan photographs
- Archived festival programs
- Interviews with Jordanian artists
- Comments from festival organisers
- Local Jerash business perspectives
- A visible update history
- Clear image dates and locations