Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts

The Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts is a festival organized by the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Theater and Performing Arts Commission. It takes place along the Sarawat Mountains in Aseer Province. The festival aims to introduce and celebrate mountain performance arts and their authenticity across different provinces. It also celebrates traditional handicrafts, popular local cuisine, traditional tools, and the costumes used in performing folk dances in these areas.

The first edition of the festival was launched at King Khalid University Theater in Abha, from January 9 to 15, 2022. The festival's events included performances of mountain arts showcased in several art exhibitions across five locations: King Khalid University in Abha, Abha Literary Club, Al Mushait Palaces, Al Abo Sarrah Palaces, and Malik Palace. The festival featured twenty mountain performance styles with the participation of twelve folk groups from various provinces of the Kingdom, along with over six hundred participants in performing arts.

The second edition of the Qemam International Festival for Mountain Performance Arts was held in several villages in Aseer Province from January 20 to 27, 2023. Over eight days, tourists and visitors to Aseer Province experienced more than thirty-two mountain performance styles from the Kingdom and around the world. The festival featured fourteen folk groups from various countries and sixteen folk groups from different cities within the Kingdom, showcasing a diverse array of traditional performances linked to mountain environments.

The festival provided visitors with a visual idea of village weddings and their celebration rituals. The commission designated eight locations with rich heritage roots to host the daily festival activities. The festival aims to raise awareness of performing arts through dialogue sessions, workshops, and education on their history, arts, styles, and performance methods, as well as their role in bringing people together.

The festival's activities focused on mountain performance arts, accompanied by a variety of other arts such as cooking and fashion. Additionally, there were numerous art exhibitions. The festival included several facilities, notably restaurants and cafes, as well as a mountain kitchen offering traditional mountain foods alongside Saudi coffee. There were also fashion stores showcasing traditional mountain attire, performing arts groups presenting mountain arts from various Sarawat areas, and interactive performing arts training using virtual reality technologies.

The festival's events included concerts, a cultural program featuring seminars and discussion sessions, and educational workshops presented by a select group of speakers on folkloric performing arts related to mountains, both musically and kinetically. There were also fireworks displays, performances by local and international folkloric groups, and various areas with diverse shops offering traditional foods, souvenirs, and artistic and craft models.

Dedicated platforms were set up for playing famous musical pieces associated with mountain arts. The festival included performances by the National Music Band and Choir and featured a newly introduced carnival parade showcasing mountain performance arts and the traditional attire of the participating countries.