Malmö is set to host the Oud and Arabic Song Festival... three days of culture, art, and celebration of talent. Here are the program details and how to attend the events.
Malmö is set to host the Oud and Arabic Song Festival... three days of culture, art, and celebration of talent. Here are the program details and how to attend the events.
The Swedish city of Malmö is preparing to host a new edition of the Malmö International Festival of Oud and Arabic Song (MIFOAS), which returns in September 2026 with a program that combines Arabic music, oud and singing, and the discovery of new talents, along with artistic and cultural meetings and events with the participation of a number of the most prominent names in the world of Arabic music.
The festival atmosphere begins on September 24 with a special musical event at the Rosengård Library, before the main program moves to the Stadionmässan on September 25 and 26, where the competition performances, musical events and concerts continue, leading up to the finals and the grand ceremony.
An opportunity for the public to attend the festival events
The festival gives the public the opportunity to enjoy Arabic musical performances that bring together well-known artists and emerging talents from different countries, in a program that celebrates Arabic music and the oud, and brings together artists from diverse musical schools and experiences.
Tickets for the main festival events on September 25 and 26 are available at Stadionmässan, where the public can choose which events they wish to attend and enjoy a diverse two-day musical and artistic program.
Tickets can be purchased via the booking platform:
https://creativeclan.se/s/okmhuset
The event on September 24 at the Rosengord Library is free and open to the public, and does not require prior registration, noting that the number of seats is limited.
September 24th... The festival begins at the Rosengord Library
The festival atmosphere kicks off on Thursday, September 24, with a special musical event hosted by the Rosengårdsbiblioteket in Malmö, in collaboration with Orientaliska Kultur & Musikhuset, in a meeting that brings together music and culture and makes art a space for communication, understanding and mutual respect between cultures.
The event will take place from 15:00 to 16:00 in the common hall on the first floor of the library, with the participation of the Palestinian singer and visual artist Razan Afifi, who is coming from Germany, and the Moroccan pianist Mounia Khadiri, who is coming from Morocco.
The event will take place at Rosengårdsbiblioteket, Rosengård Centrum, Dicksons väg 6, Malmö. It is free and does not require prior booking, with a limited number of seats.
Razan Afifi is a Palestinian visual artist and singer who was born in Damascus and has lived in Germany for more than 20 years. She also works in the field of interactive art for children and was one of the founders of the Arab Oasis for Cultural Exchange in Germany.
As for Munia Khadiri, she is a musician, poet, researcher, professor, and pianist. She holds the position of President of the Maqamat Association for Art and Culture, and her experience combines music, art, cultural work, and research.
September 25th... Launch of the main program
On Friday, September 25, the festival moves to Stadionmässan, where the main program begins with singing and oud competition performances at 15:00, before the evening events continue at 19:30.
The singing and oud competition is one of the main themes of the festival, as it gives new talents the opportunity to go on stage and present their experiences in front of the audience and a judging panel that includes an elite group of musicians and artists specializing in Arabic music and the oud.
The judging panel includes Turkish musician Mehmet Benmaz, Lebanese singer and composer Haitham Ziad, Iraqi musician Khaled Mohammed Ali, Syrian musician Taher Mamlly, Lebanese musician Charbel Rouhana, and Moroccan soprano singer and researcher Samira Kadiri.
The competition provides a space to discover new voices and musicians, and gives an opportunity to emerging talents from different musical backgrounds and experiences to appear before a wide audience.
September 26th... the highlight day of the festival
Saturday, September 26th, features a program full of musical events, starting at 17:00 with the Oud Masters Concert, and the evening continues at 19:30 with the final performances and the grand concert.
Historic Oud Concert
At 17:00, the Oud Masters Concert will take place, an evening dedicated to the oud, bringing together three of the great masters of this instrument: Iraqi musician Khalid Mohammed Ali, Lebanese oud player and composer Charbel Rouhana, and Turkish musician and oud player Mehmet Benmaz.
The concert offers a musical encounter that brings together three different experiences and schools of playing and composing, in an evening dedicated to lovers of the oud and Arabic music.
As for the Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma, he will participate in the artistic program and the grand concert later today, adding a prominent presence to the evening from the world of oud and Arabic music.
Final performances of the singing and oud competition
At 7:30 pm on Saturday, the singing and oud competition reaches its final performances, in an evening that brings together the qualified talents with the audience and the judging panel, along with a group of artists and guests.
The finals feature talents from multiple countries, in an evening that combines musical competition with artistic performances and a grand concert, before the results and winners are announced.
Stars and guests of the festival
The 2026 program brings together a group of prominent names in Arabic music, most notably the Iraqi musician Naseer Shamma, along with Khaled Mohamed Ali, Charbel Rouhana, Mohamed Benmaz, Taher Mamlly, Samira Al-Qadri, and Haitham Ziad.
Tunisian singer Mohamed Jebali, Syrian singer Hossam Zamzam, and artist Mira are also participating, along with a number of other artists and talents in the competition.
The musical ensemble is led by Maestro Shadi Jarour, while the Syrian artist Jenny Esber presents the events, within the artistic evening that combines the competition, the concert and the celebration of Arabic music.
From discovering talent to celebrating stars
The Malmö International Oud and Arabic Song Festival is not limited to concerts, but brings together well-known artists and new talents, and gives participants the opportunity to introduce themselves and their experiences to a wide audience.
The festival aims to support and encourage Arab music and singing creators, provide greater opportunities for artists to reach a new audience, and introduce talents and encourage them to continue their artistic careers.
The festival also represents a space for communication between artists from different countries and cultures, and transforms music into a means of cultural exchange, dialogue and rapprochement between the public and artists.
Three days celebrating Arabic music
Between September 24 and 26, Malmö presents a diverse program starting with a free musical event at the Rosengård Library on September 24, featuring Razan Afifi and Munia Khodeiri, before the main program moves to the Stadionmässan on September 25 and 26.
September 25 will feature competition performances and musical events at 15:00 and 19:30, while September 26 will witness the Oud Concert at 17:00, followed by the final performances and the grand ceremony at 19:30.
Between the oud, singing, competition and talent discovery, the festival offers lovers of Arabic music in Malmö and the region the opportunity to meet artistic names from different schools and experiences, and to enjoy live Arabic music within an international program that celebrates the oud and Arabic song.
For those wishing to attend the main festival events on September 25 and 26, tickets can be purchased via the booking platform:
The event on September 24 at the Rosengord Library is free and open to the public without prior registration, with a limited number of seats.
