Latest news with #Festival
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival road closures, parking bans start today
The Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival is back for a 21st year this weekend, and street closures and parking bans begin today. The three-day festival brings hundreds of thousands of people to Revere Beach Boulevard to watch 15 master sand sculptors compete for prizes. Organizers say it's the largest free event in Massachusetts. The festival also comes with a lot of traffic. Visitors are urged to take the MBTA Blue Line to the Revere Beach or Wonderland stops if possible. On Thursday, July 24, Revere Beach Boulevard will be closed between Shirley Avenue and Chester Avenue from noon to 11 p.m. The following closures are in effect from Friday at 5:30 p.m. to Monday at 12 a.m. West Street will remain open for restaurant and resident parking. A parking ban is in effect from Thursday to Sunday on Revere Beach Boulevard between West Street to Chester Avenue, as well as Ocean Avenue between Beach Street and Chester Avenue. The festival theme this year is the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and a "centerpiece sand sculpture" will honor Paul Revere's midnight ride. Visitors can also expect more than 75 food trucks and vendors at the festival, plus a fireworks display on Saturday night. Here's the schedule of events: Friday (Festival hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.)8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Sand sculpting competition Saturday (Festival hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Sand sculpting competition10 a.m. - People's Choice voting begins4 p.m. People's Choice voting closes6 p.m. - Awards ceremony9 p.m. - Fireworks Sunday festival hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
MSA Festival of Media 2025 aims to bridge progress, craft connections
THE Malaysian media industry is set to gather at the MSA Festival of Media 2025, taking place on Aug 14 at the Sheraton Hotel, Petaling Jaya. Organised by the Media Specialists Association (MSA), this year's festival carries the theme 'Bridging Progress', a reflection of the industry's journey through resilience, reinvention and meaningful connection in a rapidly shifting landscape. Designed as a high-impact, one-day experience, the festival gathers professionals across media, marketing, data, and creative to explore how people, platforms, and purpose intersect to shape what's next in the industry. From solo keynotes to panels, fireside chats to live debates, the day is built around one powerful idea: 'Crafting Connections – The Art and Science of Meaningful Engagement.' It is about how bold ideas, rooted in human truth and powered by tech, grow into cultural movements that shift industries and reframe the rules of modern media. The programme will kick off with an inspiring keynote by Singapore's Yong Siew Toh Conservatory principal conductor Jason Lai. In his 'Connected in Rhythm: Lessons from the Orchestra' keynote, Lai will draw powerful parallels between orchestras and organisations, showing how alignment, listening, and shared intent drive both musical and business brilliance. Industry leaders will also take the stage for solo sessions exploring storytelling, tech, psychology and human behaviour, revealing what it takes to build brand relevance in a noisy world. A standout this year comes from Tier 1 sponsor HEPMIL Malaysia, who will lead a 90-minute masterclass titled 'Made-In-Culture: Goodbye Virality, Hello Viscosity.' This provocative session challenges the obsession with quick wins and viral hits, arguing instead for cultural "stickiness", campaigns that linger, grow, and matter. The day ends with a no-holds-barred panel, 'The Culture Shift – What Scares Us Most?' featuring creators, marketers, and cultural provocateurs unpacking the fears, forces, and frontiers shaping modern culture. A CALL TO BUILD The festival's organising chairperson Jo Yau said: "This year's Festival invites us to look beyond recognition. It's about movement of people, of ideas, of innovation. "We want every attendee to leave feeling connected, recharged, and ready to help build what's next." All festival ticket holders will receive complimentary access to the MSA Awards Dinner on Aug 15, celebrating the industry's best campaigns, teams and talents. The MSA Festival of Media 2025 is made possible through the support of sponsors: HEPMIL Malaysia (Tier 1), with additional support from Blis, Google, Hivestack, Tyroo, Nexxen, Ogury and Social Video Lab, united in a shared belief in progress through partnership. Tickets are now available at RM1,300 (HRDC-claimable) and RM1,000 (non-HRDC claimable).
Ammon
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Ammon
Deputizing for King .. PM inaugurates 39th Jerash Festival
Ammon News - Prime Minister Jafar Hassan deputised for His Majesty King Abdullah II in officiating the opening ceremony of the 39th Jerash Festival on Wednesday evening, where the festival torch was officially lit. The festival continues until August 2nd, and this year's theme is: "Here is Jordan... and its glory endures." The skies of Jerash were adorned with doodle shows featuring images of His Majesty the King and the Crown Prince, the festival torch and logo, images of the ancient city and the Jordanian flag. Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Festival's Higher Committee Mustafa Rawashdeh said: "Peace be upon those who wrote a letter, engraved a word and wrote a sentence in the book of the homeland and its journey in eloquent Arabic, with its immortal letters.. "Peace be upon those who drew, coloured and scribbled on the clouds a picture of the homeland so that the echo resounded in all directions: Here is Jordan, and its glory endures." During the ceremony, which was attended by the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Rawashdeh added, "Here we are lighting the torch of the 39th Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, a torch that symbolises light, enlightenment and radiance, spreading joy and happiness, building bridges of dialogue, carrying the message of the Jordanian state, promoting creative activity and introducing Jordanian intellectuals, writers and artists." He added, "In Jerash today, we celebrate the homeland, its heritage and its national values, which have always been values ??of supporting justice, supporting Palestine's right to freedom, statehood and living in dignity and peace. "Just as the session focused on expanding Jordanian participation, it focused on committed art and serious culture that align with Jordan's constants and Arab positions, which devote all efforts to supporting the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers on their land, defending their rights and Jordan's steadfast stand against the aggression on Gaza and the repeated attacks in the West Bank and Holy Jerusalem." He added, "On the Jerash stages, Arab artists and intellectuals have expressed the voice of Palestine through their art, echoed by the masses. The Jerash Festival will continue to bear this message and carry the image of Jordan with its culture, art, diversity and honest Arab and humanitarian face." The head of the Greater Jerash Municipality Committee, Mohammad Bani Yassin, greeted the attendees on behalf of Jerash and its people. He said.. "the festival is a profound expression of Jordan's conscience, a pulse of its national identity and a shining civilisational message to the entire world." He said, "The festival constitutes an integral part of our national identity and Jordan's message to the world. Today, the festival bears witness to Jordan's ability to remain a beacon of thought, a crossroads of cultures, a platform for dialogue and a renewed source of hope. The opening ceremony included the operetta "On the Heights of Glory," which celebrates Jordan's history, leadership and people and the spiritual relationship between language, poetry and homeland, within a dramatic, lyrical and visual framework, featuring eloquent patriotic songs written by the poet Haidar Mahmoud. The ancient Roman theater stone was used as a visual display screen, displaying four-dimensional digital scenes featuring historical images, flags, symbolic paintings and animated poetic scenes. The opening ceremony featured national folklore performances and dances. The festival's management also selected artist Omar Abdallat, the "Voice of Jordan," to star in the opening ceremony, honouring his artistic career.
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Here. Together. Now.
Press Release – NZ Improv Festival The New Zealand Improv Festival is proud to present their 2025 programme Here. Together. Now. celebrating the stories of Aotearoa,the connections between us, and the joys and innovations of improvisation, this September 26 through October 4 at BATS Theatre in Wellington. Featuring an expansive programme of thirty-four workshops and twenty-two shows across the Festival, there's something for the newest improv watcher to the more well-hewn, with performers and directors coming together from across the motu and around the world to explore performance on BATS' stages for nine nights only. Bull Rush, currently featured at Basement Theatre in Auckland every Friday night joins us for their side-splitting, sexy, scintillating improv. Local comedy favourites Ginge & Minge present Redemption, where game players give their comedy ideas a second chance. Māori and Pasifika improv group Kōrero Paki return to the stage for their third outing of mean kōrero and wild comedy; and these three shows are just a selection of the bounty that's on offer. 'Coming into our third and final year as co-directors of the Festival, we really wanted to dig into what makes improv special as an art form.' Festival Co-Directors Jim Fishwick and Matt Powell say, 'In a time where political and corporate forces seek to pull us apart, we want to demonstrate the power of improv to bring people together in the moment, performer and audience alike, to create new things that no individual could have made by themselves.' With some of the key improv principles of listening, acceptance, and support feeling more important now than ever, our 2025 Improv Fest programme will warm the heart and tickle the funny bone, and we can't wait to see how things unfold. The New Zealand Improv Festival runs from 26 September through 4 October 2025. Tickets for the New Zealand Improv Festival are available now. Check out our show programme at BATS's website, and sign up for our workshop programme too.
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Here. Together. Now.
The New Zealand Improv Festival is proud to present their 2025 programme Here. Together. Now. celebrating the stories of Aotearoa, the connections between us, and the joys and innovations of improvisation, this September 26 through October 4 at BATS Theatre in Wellington. Featuring an expansive programme of thirty-four workshops and twenty-two shows across the Festival, there's something for the newest improv watcher to the more well-hewn, with performers and directors coming together from across the motu and around the world to explore performance on BATS' stages for nine nights only. Bull Rush, currently featured at Basement Theatre in Auckland every Friday night joins us for their side-splitting, sexy, scintillating improv. Local comedy favourites Ginge & Minge present Redemption, where game players give their comedy ideas a second chance. Māori and Pasifika improv group Kōrero Paki return to the stage for their third outing of mean kōrero and wild comedy; and these three shows are just a selection of the bounty that's on offer. 'Coming into our third and final year as co-directors of the Festival, we really wanted to dig into what makes improv special as an art form.' Festival Co-Directors Jim Fishwick and Matt Powell say, 'In a time where political and corporate forces seek to pull us apart, we want to demonstrate the power of improv to bring people together in the moment, performer and audience alike, to create new things that no individual could have made by themselves.' With some of the key improv principles of listening, acceptance, and support feeling more important now than ever, our 2025 Improv Fest programme will warm the heart and tickle the funny bone, and we can't wait to see how things unfold. The New Zealand Improv Festival runs from 26 September through 4 October 2025. Tickets for the New Zealand Improv Festival are available now. Check out our show programme at BATS's website, and sign up for our workshop programme too.
