Latest news with #TivoliVredenburg
CairoScene
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Nawafiz: The All-Arab Festival Making Utrecht a Hotspot for MENA Music
A deeper look into Utrecht's all-Arab festival, providing a space for resistance, community, and regional sounds. Jun 12, 2025 At a time when censorship is intensifying and public expressions of Arab identity are increasingly suppressed, Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival has emerged as a crucial space for free expression and connection through music. With an all-Arab lineup, it offered not only a celebration of music but a gathering point for Arabic-speaking communities across the Netherlands and Europe. The 2025 edition brought together artists from across the SWANA region and its diaspora, not only to perform, but to speak, resist, and be seen. For the second year running, TivoliVredenburg opened its doors to an all-Arab program, making Nawafiz one of the few spaces in Europe where Arab voices are not tokenized, but placed at the forefront. Across four stages, the festival's line-up - co-curated by SceneNoise - showcased a vibrant spectrum of genres, from hard-edged rap and Egyptian mahraganat to experimental electronics, indie pop, jazz fusion, and late-night dabke. Artists like Ziad Zaza, Lina Makoul, Ahmed Eid, Double Zuksh, Lana Lubany, DAM, Narcy, and Noise Diva delivered standout sets, underscoring the depth and dynamism of the region's musical landscape. With this more ambitious second edition of the festival, Nawafiz is quickly becoming a vital platform for connecting SWANA artists with audiences across Europe, while celebrating the diversity and creativity flourishing in the region's music today. Watch the full Afterfilm from Nawafiz Festival here:
CairoScene
16-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CairoScene
Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival returns to TivoliVredenburg on May 24th
Returning for its second edition on May 24, 2025, the festival expands across multiple stages at TivoliVredenburg. Mar 16, 2025 As Europe's appetite for Arab music grows, Nawafiz Festival, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, is creating a space where SWANA music takes center stage. Launched in 2024, it quickly became a meeting point for the Arab diaspora and international audiences alike. Returning for its second edition on May 24, 2025, the festival expands across multiple stages at TivoliVredenburg, featuring artists like Lina Makoul, El Rass, Double Zuksh, Bedouin Burger and Lana Lubany with more artists to be announced soon. Stay tuned for the next wave of artist announcements, and grab your tickets at
