Muscat: Preparations are in full swing at different sites for the 18th session of the Muscat Festival, according to the Muscat Municipality.
Khalid bin Mohammed bin Omar Bahram, Assistant Chairman of Muscat Municipality for Services Affairs and Assistant Chairman of the Muscat Organizing Committee, said: “We will be celebrating 20th year of Muscat Festival since its launch in 1998, at Al Qurum Public Park.”
He added that the festival has been a success, thanks to the efforts of the Muscat Municipality and the cooperating parties.
The festival has helped to establish a public base for this event, and maintained its excellence and diversity.
He added that the 2018 Muscat Festival coincides with the mid-year vacation for schools, colleges and universities students and an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful winter season with the various events of the festival in different locations.
This year’s festival will start on January 18 and will continue for 24 days. It will be followed by Tour of Oman for six days, from February 13.
Bahram pointed out that the Organising Committee of the festival has made great efforts to prepare for this session of the festival, by developing perceptions, studying proposals, selecting activities and programmes carefully with the participation of several parties, and to provide opportunities to benefit from experiences and other efforts in the establishment, management and organisation of festivals.
The Muscat Festival sites are diverse to accommodate its diverse sporting, cultural, artistic and other activities, as well as the two main sites: Al Amerat Public Park, Al Naseem Public Park, in addition to Oman Automobile Club, a number of cultural halls and clubs, and Tour of Oman which runs through a number of governorates in the Sultanate, as well as the varied artistic, theatrical and song concerts at Al Madinah Theatre and Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Assistant Director of the Organising Committee of the festival pointed out that the next session will also witness the establishment of a number of specialised events, notably the 2018 Oman Bride Show and its accompanying fashion shows, which will be held at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre
Tamer Hosni, Miriam Fares, Mohamed Aslam, Miami Group will hold concerts at Al Madinah Theatre in Al Qurum Public Park. Al Madinah Theatre will host a number of other musical
performances. The festival offers a range of rich cultural events in its subjects, dealing with various types of literature and culture through the presentation of intellectual seminars and literary and poetry evenings, in addition to a number of seminars and lectures by specialists in a number of fields.
Assistant Chairman of Muscat Municipality for Services Affairs and Assistant Chairman of the Muscat Organising Committee added that the establishment of cultural events will be done in coordination and cooperation with a number of stakeholders in culture, art and thought in the Sultanate, including the Omani Society for Writers and Literati, the Cultural Club and the Omani Journalist Association, and the Omani Society for Fine Arts, Oman Photographic Society and the Omani Film Society, noting that this session includes a number of cultural events, including the three-dimensional films and the Oman Photography Forum, which will host a group of professional photographers from the Sultanate and the world, Book Corner, Literary Café, which includes a collection of libraries and will bring together a group of Omani intellectuals, writers, artists and other events.