KUWAIT: The 31st edition of the Qurain Cultural Festival will kick off on January 26 and run until February 11, 2026, under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Aisha Al-Mahmoud, Assistant Secretary-General for Culture at the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, described the event as a reflection of Kuwait’s enduring cultural legacy and its ongoing commitment to innovation. “Kuwait has a cultural heritage that stretches across history and continues to inspire new ideas and creativity,” Al-Mahmoud said. “Through the festival, we aim to highlight this continuity and celebrate the country’s role in preserving and promoting culture while engaging with modern trends.”
Since its inception in 1994, the Qurain Cultural Festival has become a source of national pride and inspiration. The festival offers a wide range of activities, including poetry readings, storytelling, visual arts, intellectual discussions and lectures. Al-Mahmoud emphasized that the festival balances honoring tradition with embracing contemporary cultural trends, underscoring the role of culture in education and societal development.
This year’s festival coincides with the conclusion of Kuwait’s celebrations as the Arab Capital of Culture and Media, which showcased a broad spectrum of cultural initiatives across the country. The festival will open with a ceremony at the Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center’s Drama Theatre, featuring the State Appreciation and Creativity Awards.
A number of exhibitions will run throughout the festival. Highlights include the “Arab Women… Half of Development” exhibit from Al-Arabi magazine’s archive and the Comprehensive Qurain Art Exhibition. Palestinian group In’aash will present an exhibition for three days at Bayt Al-Sadu.
Music and performance are central to the festival. Scheduled events include a concert by the folk group Kankoni at The Avenues Mall and a jazz evening at Yarmouk Cultural Center. Folk performances by the Hamad Bin Hussein group will be held at Assima Mall.
The festival also includes literary events, such as a poetry evening for winners of the Suad Al-Sabah Literary Creativity Awards, featuring poets from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Syria and Bahrain. International engagement is part of the program, with the World Crafts Forum running until February 3. The forum includes exhibitions and workshops at the Kuwait National Library, exploring the role of crafts in the creative economy.
The main festival symposium, titled “From Heritage to Creativity: Kuwait and the Arab Cultural Journey,” will span three days with morning and evening sessions. It will be accompanied by an exhibition of publications from the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters and feature a lineup of academics, intellectuals and cultural figures.
Other lectures and panels will address topics such as artificial intelligence and creativity, contemporary ceramic murals by Turkish potters, and photography exhibitions in partnership with the Kuwait Society for Photography Arts. The festival will conclude with a closing ceremony marking the end of Kuwait’s year as the Arab Capital of Culture and Media 2025.
