jordan pulse -

The Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts closed its 40th edition on Sunday evening with a torch-extinguishing and flag-handover ceremony at the Oval Plaza in the ancient city of Jerash, marking the end of an edition held under the theme "A Legacy That Endures... Generations That Meet," following days of culture, art, and literature that saw strong organizational and public success, cementing the festival's status as one of the region's leading cultural and artistic events.
The closing ceremony was attended by Culture Minister and Chairman of the Festival's Higher Committee Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Emad Al-Hijazin, Jerash Governor Dr. Malek Khreisat, Jerash Municipal Council President Mohammad Bani Yasin, several Higher Committee members and officials, local community members, and journalists, as the 40th edition's torch was extinguished and the festival flag lowered and handed over, marking the close of the festival.
The 40th edition drew major cultural, artistic, and media attention, hosting more than 226 cultural, artistic, literary, and heritage events and welcoming around 130,000 visitors, with participation from 32 countries — 14 through the cultural exchange program and 10 through embassy pavilions. The festival featured 1,300 artists and creatives from Jordan, the Arab world, and beyond, and was covered by more than 100 local, Arab, and international media outlets, reflecting the festival's growing regional and international profile.
Minister Al-Rawashdeh said the 40th edition, held amid exceptional regional circumstances under the theme "A Legacy That Endures... Generations That Meet," succeeded in presenting a bright image of Jordan, thanking His Majesty King Abdullah II for his royal patronage of the festival.
He said the 40th edition aligned with the "Jordanian Narrative... The Story of the Land and Its People" project, highlighting the country's deep civilizational heritage, reinforcing national identity, and embracing culture and the humanities — in keeping with the festival's mission as a space for dialogue and a platform for creativity and cultural exchange.
He noted this edition focused on advancing sustainable development gains, empowering youth and women, developing creative and cultural industries, reviving tangible and intangible heritage, and deepening cultural and artistic engagement across the Jordanian landscape.
For his part, Jerash Festival Executive Director and Advisor Yazan Al-Khudair said the festival's success reflects the success of state institutions that worked hard to make this edition a triumph, noting that the artistic and cultural program stood out for its broad public appeal and programming that catered to all family members, helping present Jordan as a destination for culture and creativity.
He noted the edition saw strong turnout across all the festival's stages. The Southern Theater hosted top Arab singing stars alongside standout performances by Jordanian artists, while the Northern Theater featured a diverse cultural and artistic program spanning musical and theatrical performances, choirs, and heritage acts — reflecting the diversity that defined the 40th edition.
The edition also saw an expansion of performance venues with the addition of the Hippodrome Theater and the Zeus Vault, alongside greater community involvement, support for women's empowerment, and backing for craftspeople and productive families — reinforcing the festival's developmental dimension alongside its cultural mission.
Al-Khudair affirmed that festival management will continue building on this year's successes, incorporating all ideas and suggestions to deliver even stronger future editions, enhance the visitor experience, build productive partnerships with the private sector in culture and the arts, and cement Jerash Festival's standing as one of the region's most important cultural and artistic events.
He thanked the Higher Committee's chairman and members, security agencies of all ranks, public and private sector partners, local, Arab, and international media, cultural bodies and unions, the local Jerash community, and civil society institutions.
The Southern Theater's programming closed with a Jordanian night featuring artists Bashar Al-Sarhan, Najm Al-Salman, and Ghada Abbasi.