The curtain fell on the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival, concluding with an exceptional performance on the evening of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by a unique artist, an icon of peace with a powerful voice and a dazzling presence—Majida El Roumi. The star who began her career in the 1970s and succeeded in building a distinctive artistic experience, blending singing with acting, appeared on the Carthage stage carrying peace and love, sharing with her audience the most beautiful moments of gratitude, affection, and joy.

A Tale of Two Cities, a China-Egypt co-produced documentary, was officially launched in Beijing on August 19, 2026, at the China International Communications Group. The event was jointly hosted by the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Radio and Television and Fujian Media Group, and organized by the Satellite TV Center of Fujian Media Group.

The Lady of the Theatre, passionately mad about the stage, the Diva Amina Fakhet, met her audience on an exceptional night, August 17, 2026, as part of the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival. The concert was musically orchestrated by the National Orchestra led by Maestro Youssef Belhani, with the participation of musicians from Algeria. It was a rendezvous with an artist unlike any other—an artist who made the stage her own kingdom and the audience her subjects, enchanting them with her voice, movement, and commanding presence.

After a long absence, Lebanese artist Elissa greeted the Carthage International Festival audience through the gateway of memory, choosing to open her concert with a video documenting pivotal stages of her musical career. That moment was a journey through time, as Elissa and her audience together revisited the milestones that shaped her artistic glory, from humble beginnings to the summit she occupies today.

On Tunisian Women's Day, coinciding with artist Nabiha Karaouli's concert as part of the Carthage International Festival, the ancient stage transformed into a space where memory intersected with celebration, and individual voice met collective consciousness. The evening was more than a musical performance; it was a tribute to an extended feminine legacy, and a celebration of an artistic journey that made Tunisian song a mirror of identity and the social and cultural transformations experienced by Tunisian women.

If dance is a language and a space for expression, it is also the voice of the body in all its states, stories, and worlds. On the stage of the Carthage Theatre, the encounter took place on the evening of August 11, 2026, with ten troupes from different countries, gathered for a folklore evening titled "Dances of the World," making dance a means to travel to different cultures and diverse geographies, in the presence of the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Ms. Amina Srarfi, and a number of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives.

Egyptian Short Film Khufu Screens Three Times in Locarno’s Official Competition
The Egyptian short film Khufu screened three times in the official competition of the 79th Locarno Film Festival, drawing strong audiences and receiving enthusiastic responses from both viewers and critics. The screenings took place on August 8, 9 and 10, with members of the filmmaking team in attendance.

"Wings" – that was the motto of artist Tamer Ashour, whose songs preceded his presence on stage. Before the audience of the Carthage International Festival, he won the bet of artistic and popular success on the evening of Saturday, August 8, 2026.

In its 60th edition, the Carthage International Festival evoked an artistic memory that shaped part of its identity, and the evening of Thursday, August 6, 2026, was adorned with the hues of authentic Arab tarab, featuring the presence of artist Mayada El Hennawy and artist Mohamed Khairy. The Syrian voice returned to the ancient stage, carrying with it a tarab legacy that has remained present in the festival's history, since Sabah Fakhri's concerts, which became luminous landmarks in the memory of the Tunisian audience.

Come, let us listen for a while to music whose title is tranquility. Come, let us celebrate rhythms from other, more beautiful worlds. To that place where an endless spring spreads, and where bouquets of hope are born every moment—this is the journey with the Italian ensemble Rondo Veneziano, a tour through which all borders and geography are erased, and within which dream and hope are reconciled, as part of the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival, on the evening of August 4, 2026.

"You are better than any chemotherapy." These words, brimming with profound sincerity, were spoken by artist Rayan to his audience, encapsulating his gratitude to everyone who attended the solidarity concert on the evening of Sunday, August 2, 2026, as part of the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival. This was more than a musical performance; it was a cultural and humanitarian evening, featuring the National Orchestra of Tunisian Music conducted by Maestro Youssef Belhani—a night where art met solidarity, beauty met hope, and voice carried a message deeper than any melody.

From the very beginning of his career, Sami Yusuf chose to turn the stage into a space for contemplation, treating music as a spiritual language that seeks to connect with humanity, regardless of culture, language, or belief. During the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival, the encounter on the evening of Saturday, August 1, 2026, between the artist and the venue felt natural. The ancient theatre, with its layers of civilization and history, did not merely host a voice; it welcomed a musical project that, for over two decades, has been building bridges between East and West, between tradition and modernity, and between spiritual chant and contemporary musical composition.

Dance, bodies, free yourselves from your chains, and write your own epic of life. Be the beginning and the end, for you are the first language and the last. Dance, and scatter beauty upon the audience, reminding them of the pain of those whose lands were seized, who fled to music and dance to forge their own revolution, and to reclaim their glory through a language that knows no end. Dance, and strike the ground with your feet, so that flamenco remains a voice for freedoms. And on the stage of Carthage, bodies made their glory on an exceptional night, Thursday, July 30, 2026, where history intertwined with the culture of life and dance, in the performance "Tierra Bendita" (Blessed Land), which celebrated the richness of Andalusian culture through a vibrant journey into the heart of traditions and emotions embodying the spirit of contemporary flamenco.

The 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival continued its rich program, and on the evening of Tuesday, July 28, 2026, the audience was treated to an exceptional tarab (classical Arab singing) experience, featuring the acclaimed artist Yosra Mahnouch, known for her powerful vocal abilities. A large audience gathered to enjoy an evening of authentic Arab singing, in a night that stood as a testament to loyalty, creativity, and artistic mastery.

The 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival continued its diverse program, and on the evening of Sunday, July 26, 2026, the audience was treated to laughter and sharp social critique through the play "The Crazy Old Lady in the Cupboard" ("Al Garhmana Al Mokhbal Fi Keba"), written and directed by Maaz Toumi. This comedic social monodrama critiques numerous social phenomena and tackles, with satirical wit, issues that strike at the heart of Tunisian daily life.

 The anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic cannot pass without a celebration befitting the occasion, and the most beautiful offering was an evening of Tunisian song on July 25, 2026, titled "A Homeland with Lovers' Love" ("Watan bi Hubb el Ashiqin"), as part of the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival. The event was graced by the presence of the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Ms. Amina Srarfi, along with a number of Tunisian artists, in a majestic celebration that blended the official with the popular, the institutional with the grassroots, and the past with the present.

A mad encounter with an artist who turns the stage into a realm of life and hope, a space for humanity, creativity, and the crafting of a dazzling world where rhythms and music from every corner of the globe harmonize. Angélique Kidjo, the Voice of Africa, ascended the ancient stage of the Carthage Theatre as part of the 60th edition of the International Festival, on the evening of Thursday, July 23, 2026. She delivered a thunderous performance, sending a love letter to the world and shouting with a voice that recognizes no borders: "Long live Africa, long live everyone, long live humanity!"

On the evening of July 22, 2026, the Tunisian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Chadi El Ghrefi, delivered an extraordinary performance as part of the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival. The concert, titled "Tunes of My Homeland" ("Musiquats Bladi"), was a celebration of six decades of Tunisian music, weaving together the country's rich melodic heritage with the sophistication of orchestral arrangements, while also embracing other art forms such as dance and poetry.

Millions of streams and views on digital platforms are not an automatic passport to true artistic success, nor is mass popularity a guaranteed ticket to the stage of the prestigious Carthage International Festival. The ancient theater, with its historic weight and symbolic aura, remains a different kind of trial—one where artists are tested on their ability to transform digital noise into living presence, and studio-crafted songs into a visceral experience that resonates with the stones of antiquity.

Thirty years after the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, delivered a historic performance at Tunis’s El Menzah Dome, and following the success of the documentary celebrating his extraordinary legacy, the 60th edition of the Carthage International Festival witnessed another monumental moment: the arrival of The Jacksons—the family that reshaped pop music and continues to inspire generations worldwide.