Since 2022 the Arab Culture Festival has invited Hamburg to experience the diversity of Arab cultures — with music, dabke, calligraphy, literature and film. The festival takes place at Goldbekhaus, the University of Hamburg and changing venues across the city, organised by Arap Culture.
A festival that connects
The Arab Culture Festival is a yearly event that strengthens cultural exchange, breaks down prejudice and celebrates the art, music and literature of the Arab world. Arabic and German are the languages of the festival — and where words run out, music and dance take over.
“Welcome! اهلا وسهلا بكم” — those words open our programme every year, and they are meant for everyone who is curious.
2024 — poetry & music
The 2024 edition was dedicated to Arabic poetry. For three days, poets, musicians and a curious audience met at Goldbekhaus.
- Friday, Bühne zum Hof: belly-dance workshop for women, Arabic coffee, Oriental Band, Sufi dance.
- Saturday, Halle: poetry with music and drawing, Nostalgia Band, dabke workshop and dabke with live music.
- Sunday, Bühne zum Hof: children’s programme, Arabic coffee, hakawati with Bassam Dawood, an Arabic film and a talk with director Mohammed Al-Sheikh.
2023 — language & heritage
In 2023 the festival combined exhibition, music and dance: an Arab film club, an exhibition opening with Ali Shibly, “Your name in Arabic”, a reading and Spirit of the East with dabke.
2022 — the beginning
The first edition brought dabke, the Shibli Band, STORYFELD Hamburg and an Oriental Band to the stage — the start of a yearly tradition.
Programme booklets
The full programmes with photos of the participating groups are available as PDF.