ENCHANTING TRICK
Shiraz Arts Festival
The cultural capital of Iran and the historical ruins of Persepolis are once again hosting the foremost artists of the world offering stunning performances and high art productions. Iranian National Ballet
category:
Cultural Diplomacy
services:
Music, Song, Dance, Ballet, Opera
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To be informed soon
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A Festival That Shaped the History of Arts
In the golden age of Iran’s modern history, the Shiraz Arts Festival emerged as one of the most daring and groundbreaking artistic events ever created, not only in the Middle East but on the global stage. Established in 1967 under the visionary patronage of Empress Farah Pahlavi and organized by Iran’s National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT), the festival was conceived to become a platform where the artistic traditions of East and West could meet, dialogue, and inspire one another.
Over the course of eleven magnificent editions, until its final year in 1977, the Shiraz Arts Festival transformed the ancient city of Shiraz and the ruins of Persepolis into epicenters of artistic revolution. Celebrated artists, musicians, dancers, and theatre-makers from across the world were invited to perform, present new creations, and engage with Iran’s own profound artistic heritage. Figures such as John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Yehudi Menuhin, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Martha Graham, Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook, Ravi Shankar, and Maurice Béjart among many others left their mark on the festival’s extraordinary legacy.
The festival was not only a celebration of the arts but also a laboratory for new forms of creativity, where Iranian ta’zieh, Baluchi music, Kurdish dances, and ancient rituals were placed in dialogue with Western avant-garde practices. It encouraged experimentation, cross-cultural collaboration, and a deep respect for traditional forms at a time when cultural globalization was still in its infancy.
However, the escalating political turmoil of the late 1970s led to the cancellation of the festival in 1978, just one year before the Iranian Revolution. Its memory has since remained a symbol of what Iranian society once dared to imagine — a vision of modernity rooted in respect for its ancient soul.
The Legacy and its Contemporary Relevance
The Shiraz Arts Festival set a standard for how a nation could blend its ancestral traditions with the cutting edge of global innovation. It demonstrated that cultural openness could fuel artistic excellence and that Iran could stand at the crossroads of human creativity. In France, for example, the Centre National de la Danse (CND) played a similar role in democratizing and developing dance across the country, supporting both traditional and contemporary practices. In Sweden, Danscentrum created a nationwide platform for freelance dancers and small companies, advocating for their rights and promoting their creative growth.
Global art, ancient soul. Shiraz returns reborn.Nima Kiann
In much the same way, the Shiraz Arts Festival once nourished the arts far beyond its immediate geography, helping to reshape the trajectory of performing arts in Asia, Europe, and America alike. Today, reviving this extraordinary festival is not merely a tribute to the past — it is a bold act of cultural renewal, essential for reconnecting Iran’s future generations with their global and historical legacy.
A New Vision for a New Era
The new Shiraz Arts Festival will stay true to its original spirit while embracing the expanded horizons of 21st-century culture. It will invite the most innovative artists, musicians, dancers, choreographers, digital creators, and interdisciplinary visionaries from around the globe to create a living dialogue with Iran’s many cultural traditions.
The festival will incorporate:
- Traditional Iranian performance forms, folklore, and ritual arts.
- Experimental and contemporary arts across dance, theatre, music, visual arts, and digital media.
- Open-air performances at Persepolis, Pasargadae, and Shiraz’s historic gardens and squares.
- International artist residencies, public workshops, debates, and symposia.
- Programs dedicated to Iranian youth, diaspora artists, and the cultural regeneration of marginalized communities.
Sustainability, innovation, cultural diplomacy, and social inclusion will be core values guiding the rebirth of the festival.
Les Ballets Persans: Supporting the Rebirth
Les Ballets Persans, as one of the few cultural institutions with two decades of successful international engagement in Persian performing arts, is deeply committed to supporting the revival of the Shiraz Arts Festival. Utilizing its extensive network of partner organizations, artists, and cultural advocates worldwide, Les Ballets Persans will actively contribute to the development of a new organizational framework that guarantees the festival’s independence, diversity, artistic excellence, and international stature.
In this vision, Les Ballets Persans sees itself not as the sole leader but as one among many committed partners working collaboratively to realize this historic project — building bridges between generations, geographies, and artistic disciplines.
Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future
Recreating the Shiraz Arts Festival is more than an homage to a glorious cultural moment; it is an act of faith in the power of the arts to inspire, heal, and transform societies. It is a reclamation of Iran’s rightful place among the great civilizations of the world — a country whose spirit of artistic excellence has always transcended political boundaries and historical ruptures.
As Iran prepares for a brighter future, the rebirth of the Shiraz Arts Festival will serve as a guiding light, affirming that art, creativity, and the human spirit know no borders — only horizons yet to be discovered.