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CULTURE-LOVERS can look forward to a sizzling summer on the island with an array of performers heading to Bahrain to entertain residents and visitors.
The Ministry of Culture will be launching its 2014 Bahrain Summer Festival, which is in its sixth year, at the end of this month with a colourful calendar of musicals, acrobatics, theatre and children’s shows.
Summer of Colours, which will run from July 31 until August 30, is a key component of the Ministry’s Year of the Arts and Manama: Capital of Asian Tourism’s year-long schedule of events and activities.
Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the Minister of Culture, said: “The Bahrain Summer Festival keeps getting bigger and better.
“Through it, we are engaging with the world through culture in all its forms and sowing the seeds of joy in everyone it touches.
“Year-after-year, the Bahrain Summer Festival seeks to make beauty our enduring language with which other nations identify and associate us. Hence, we want to maximise each and every experience through this year’s line-up of amazing cultural and artistic shows.”
All events will be staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC); some are free while others require ticket admission for entry.
The family-friendly festival will start with a performance from Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy on July 31 and runs until August 2.
Inspired by nature, the show is brought to life by an international cast of soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians, with spectacular costumes and visual effects.
Another act to dazzle is the internationally-acclaimed, award-winning Iraqi artist Ilham Al-Madfai who will perform two shows on August 13 and 14 at the Cultural Hall with his eclectic band. He will play his signature blend of Western rhythms and Eastern folk songs.
The second concert, on August 26, features Chico & the Gypsies, the latest project of Jahloul ‘Chico’ Bouchiki, co-founder of the legendary band, The Gipsy Kings.
The act carries on its predecessor’s flamboyant Spanish flamenco and rumba-infused traditions.
Children will also have a line-up of fun starting with Dora the Explorer and her friends in Dora’s Pirate Adventure, which runs from August 7 to 10. The musical promises to be an exciting and interactive voyage through Treasure Island in which children will help Dora solve puzzles and navigate her way to the ultimate pirate treasure.
A high-voltage international street dance sensation known as Blaze will light the stage on August 16 and 17 with 16 of the best street dancers from around the world. They will perform pop and lock routines as well as break dance to music from Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, David Guetta, Snoop Dogg and others.
Another children’s favourite will be Abood’s Dream, which runs from August 21-24. The UAE-produced show is an amusing tale featuring the antics of the hero character Abood who ends up in a fantasy adventure while looking after his grandmothers’ pet canary which, by the way, lives in a fish bowl.
Abood is joined by the beloved characters of the animated show FREEJ as he meets new friends and learns valuable lessons along the way in this traditional family theatre experience with a local cultural twist.
Also, a full slate of activities will be on offer at Nakhool and Nakhoola City for the duration of the festival. It will include a wide variety of workshops and lectures with artists from across the globe focusing on entertainment, learning and development.
The Ministry of Culture is also hosting a number of workshops and activities for children, as well as local entertainment at Bab Al Bahrain’s Ramadhaniyat Souq starting from today until July 19.
Ramadhaniyat will also include a range of shops and kiosks selling an array of Bahraini products and handicrafts, both traditional and modern.
Live folk music concerts are also held as part of this annual celebration. Gergaoun night will be held at Qala’at Al-Bahrain Museum at 9pm tomorrow to celebrate the middle of Ramadan.
For details, visit www.bahrainsummer.bh and www.moc.gov.bh
