World Culture Festival 2025 opens in Karachi with tribute to Gaza - Assalamu Alaikum
Assalamu Alaikum - The 39-day World Culture Festival 2025 got underway at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi on Friday, kicking off one of South Asia’s biggest cultural events that brings together artists from over 140 countries under themes of peace - with a tribute to Gaza - and environmental care.
The opening night featured colorful performances, film screenings and exhibitions promoting cross-cultural understanding. Running until December 7, the festival showcases troupes and performers from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States, France, Japan, Türkiye and Sri Lanka, alongside many Pakistani artists.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the event and praised the Arts Council for making Karachi “the cultural heart of the nation.” He described Karachi as unpredictable, vibrant and alive, and welcomed the world to the city.
What started last year with artists from 44 countries has now grown into a festival representing over 140 nations and more than a thousand artists, he said, calling it proof of Pakistan’s desire to build cultural bridges.
The first theme of the festival, peace, focuses on global conflicts with particular attention to Gaza - which Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmed Shah called one of the greatest tragedies of our time. He stressed the need for a more humane world and said artists worldwide have condemned the violence. The second theme highlights the environment, with short films and performances drawing attention to climate change’s effects.
Shah said the aim is to foster empathy through art at a time when the world needs it most. “Artists around the globe have condemned war and violence,” he said, adding that the festival sends a collective message that humanity can be united through art, music and culture.
The opening attracted a distinguished audience, including diplomatic representatives from Australia, France, Japan, the UAE and Türkiye, and officials from Sri Lanka, Russia and Bangladesh. Live performances brought music, dance and visual arts from many traditions to the stage.
Pakistani artists included Amin Gulgee and flutist Akbar Khamiso Khan, while the Balochi folk dance Leva drew strong applause. International performers ranged from Madan Gopal of Nepal to Lucy Tasker of Belgium, Ammar Ashkar of Syria and Shireen Jawad of Bangladesh. French santoor player Zakaria Haffar and dance companies like Ballet Beyond Borders and Chrome Louie from the United States added variety, alongside artists from Italy, Romania and the Congo.
Short films such as South Korea’s Plastic and Kiribati’s Love Note to an Island were screened to underline the environmental theme.
The chief minister praised the Sindh government’s collaboration with the Arts Council and assured ongoing support for creative industries, saying culture in Sindh is part of identity - from the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai to theatre and cinema - and that artists serve as Pakistan’s ambassadors of peace.
May this kind of cultural exchange bring more understanding and compassion among peoples. Peace and blessings.
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