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Ammon News - by Mohammad Ghazal/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — Audience turnout for the Jerash festival’s first two concerts over the weekend surpassed expectations, according to organisers.

Thursday’s concert by Iraqi singer Kadim Al Saher at the South Theatre in Jerash attracted more than 6,000 attendees, which is above the theatre’s maximum capacity of 5,000 people, Mohammad Abu Summaqa, the festival’s executive director, told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

“The theatre was full for Saher’s concert. Around 1,000 people were standing... The attendance was one of the highest witnessed in a concert at the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts over the past three years,” Abu Summaqa said in a phone interview.

Friday’s concert at the theatre by Lebanese singer Aasi El Hillani attracted more than 3,000 people, he added.

The two concerts attracted a large number of non-Jordanians, mainly from the Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Abu Summaqa noted.

Fares Dawsan, a Saudi national, who attended Saher’s concert with some of his friends, said he “enjoyed it immensely”.

“I love Kadim the Qaisar. This is not the first time I have come to Jerash. This is the fourth time I have attended a concert by Kadim here,” Dawsan said.

Fans of Saher refer to him as Qaisar, which translates into Caesar.

Jamal Sbeihi, said he came to the theatre at around 6:00pm on Thursday to attend the concert, which started after 8:00pm.

“I came with some university friends… I like Kadim Saher’s songs. This is the first time I have attended one of his concerts and I am so happy the ticket was cheap so that I could come with many friends,” the 22-year old Jordanian said.

Some people complained that they were allowed into the theatre only after the concert started due to the large number of attendees.

“They have just let me in… I was waiting for more than one hour but the organisers asked me to wait because it was overcrowded inside the theatre,” said Suleiman Jaber, who entered the theatre at around 9.30pm.

The festival, which runs through July 7, includes a diverse line-up of local and Arab singers, including Lebanese artists Nancy Ajram, Carole Smaha, Ayman Zbib and Najwa Karam, and Jordanian singer Diana Karazon.