The ninth day of the World Culture Festival Karachi 2026 belonged to music. On Friday 7 November, the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi hosted a full day of film screenings, dance workshops and contemporary dance, before the evening belonged to “Folk Nights: Roots & Roads”, an international concert that brought folk traditions from Pakistan, Kenya, Poland, the United States and Guatemala onto a single stage.
World Culture Festival Day 9 showed exactly why the 25-day festival has become one of Karachi’s biggest cultural events. The third edition of the festival, which runs from 29 October to 22 November 2026, has drawn around 1,000 artists from 150 countries to the Arts Council — and the ninth day packed film, dance and music into a single day, ending with a concert the audience greeted with enthusiastic applause.
Folk Nights: Roots & Roads closes World Culture Festival Day 9 on a high
The closing concert was the highlight of World Culture Festival Day 9. Balochi folk musician Ustad Noor Bakhsh mesmerised the audience with his distinctive Balochi musical style, performing captivating melodies on traditional instruments. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-based folk-fusion band Khumariyaan followed with their own blend of traditions and sounds from Khyber and Bolan, winning over the crowd with a sound that is rooted in the region and open to the world at the same time.
The concert also featured Kenyan musician Makadem, who delivered an impressive multi-instrumental performance, while Kenyan vocalist Adela Mwende and bass player Radek Bond Bednarz added their own colour to the evening. Another major highlight was the international music collective Echoes of Eden, featuring British-Jamaican vocalist Jesuton, Lahore-based sitar player Rakae Jami, Nashville-based pianist Aaron English and Pakistani vocalist Zara Mandani. Together they blended traditional instruments with contemporary melodies, bringing the musical traditions of their regions together in one performance.
Dance battles, films and a Thai workshop fill the day
World Culture Festival Day 9 began with the audition round of “Orbit Dance Battle”, hosted by Norwegian dancer Naveed Rizwani. Young dancers performed enthusiastically to hip-hop beats by Norwegian DJ Katherine, showing off their skills across different dance styles. The competition was judged by dancers Mani Chao and Nighat Chaudhry, and Lucs Dewyne, and the final round of the battle was also held on the day.
Under the “Pakistani Shorts” section, films including “WRAP” from Pakistan, “The Send Off”, “Hania”, “House of Rain”, “Tussle”, “How to Kill Your Hunger” from Kuwait and Pakistan, “Knock Back” from Bangladesh and “Body” from Pakistan were screened. American dancer Valerie Green delivered an outstanding contemporary dance performance alongside students of SOVAPA, which received warm appreciation from the audience. A dance workshop titled “Traditional Thai Dance” was also organised at Studio II, where artists from Thailand’s cultural dance group Nattaya Chula introduced participants to traditional Thai dance techniques, opening a window onto Thailand’s ancient civilisation and rich cultural heritage.
Earthsong brings three continents to one stage
The international musical programme “Earthsong” was held at Auditorium I, featuring musicians from America, Guatemala and Pakistan. The programme featured the Washington-based musical duo Jagani-Soltow Duo, comprising Dr Rizwan Jagani and Steven Edward Soltow, who delivered an exceptional performance blending classical music, South Asian regional melodies, folk traditions and contemporary musical influences. Pakistani musician Usman Anees also represented Pakistan with his own musical performance.
Speaking on the occasion during a dance performance, Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi President Muhammad Ahmad Shah said the artists participating in the World Culture Festival are playing a significant role in bringing people and nations closer through their art, creativity and cultural heritage. He emphasised that art and artists know no gender distinctions, and that whether male or female, every artist is recognised for their talent, dedication and hard work. Art, he said, is a universal language that transcends differences of colour, race, religion, language and gender, bringing people together through shared human expression. He added that artists arriving from different parts of the world believe in peace, love, harmony and brotherhood, and have gathered at the festival to convey the message of peace through their artistic expressions.
What comes next as the festival enters its tenth day
World Culture Festival Day 9 ended with a large number of music lovers in attendance, making the “Folk Nights: Roots & Roads” concert a memorable highlight of the festival so far. The festival continues at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi until 22 November, and the tenth day brings one of its biggest nights yet: singer Abdul Hannan performs live at the Arts Council tonight, Sunday 8 November, at 9 PM. After a day that moved from hip-hop dance battles to Thai dance, from Pakistani short films to folk music from four continents, the tenth day promises more of the same — and Karachi’s audiences have already shown they are turning up in large numbers for it.
Sources: The News and Geo News
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