The Voice Kids winner, finalists open Bahrain Summer Festival

The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) launched the 8th edition at a special event held this evening at Nakhool Tent next to the Bahrain National Museum.

BACA President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa opened Nakhool Tent, in the presence of diplomats, cultural and media figures as well families celebrating the Eid Al-Fitr.

The festival, which will run until August 7, comes as part of a wider strategic initiative spearheaded by BACA aimed at boosting the island’s position as a regional cultural tourism hub.

Held under the theme "Your Destination Bahrain", the 8th edition of the popular month-long festival will feature the usual amazing lineup of top shows and artists at the Cultural Hall representing a wide range of genres and cultures, as well as an interactive edu-tainment program at the Nakhool Tent.

BACA thanked all the sponsors who made the festival possible: Al-Baddad (Platinum Sponsors); Creative Design, Plan Architecture & Design, and Seef Mall (Gold Sponsors); ShowTech Productions, Agility, Gulf Air, and AA Car Rental (Silver Sponsors); TV5 Monde, Al-Bilad and Al-Wasat newspapers, FACT, Ohlala, TimeOut, Areej, and Gulf Insider magazines, and 104.2 Your FM radio (Media Sponsors).

Following the opening at Nakhool Tent, the talented youngsters of The Voice Kids Tour "Ahla Sawt" kicked off the festival in style with a concert featuring the show’s grand winner Lynn Al-Hayek and the four other finalists; Amir Amouri, Zein Obeid, Ghady Bechara, Jowairia Hamdy. The gifted youngsters were joined on stage by special guest Joanne Jabbour to render a selection of modern and classic Arabic and English hits.

Bahraini music folklore will take center stage on July 8 as the talented vocalists and musicians of the renowned Mohammed bin Faris Band perform a medley of traditional arts associated with island’s seafaring history such as Saut, Basteh, Khamari, among others.

Everyone is invited to join in on the fun of the family-friendly theatrical production Smurfs Live on Stage - Save Spring! which will run from July 14 – 18 at the Cultural Hall.

The live show has the beloved tiny blue creatures preparing to hold their annual Spring Parade. But will they succeed against Gargamel’s evil plot to catch them by and turning off spring forever?

The festival wraps up on August 4 with a voyage to the heart of Andalusian Spain led by the Spanish singer and choreographer Luis de la Carrasca and his company "Flamenco Vivo". Brought to the audience in cooperation with the French Embassy and Alliance Francaise, the show brings a fresh take on this uniquely Spanish art form by integrating it with dramatic and classical plays.

Throughout it all, the Nakhool Tent will provide a nurturing environment for kids and young adults with a full program of interactive workshops, events, and competitions with festival mascots Nakhool and Nakhoola.

Drawing from cultures all around the world, the activities are designed with the objective of sparking the imagination and grooming budding skills and interests of the next generation.