Ammon News - by Gaelle Sundelin/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — The Amman Citadel Festival will officially kick off on August 20, featuring a number of international and local performers, organisers Friends of Jordan Festivals (FJF) announced on Saturday.

The two-week-long festival will host performances by local artists, international singers, and The Sound of Music London-based show, among others at the Citadel in Amman.

The festival's line-up includes Lebanese singer and oud player Marcel Khalife, who celebrates a 40-year career in music, and internationally acclaimed Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, who has sold over 300 million records worldwide according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Last year, the FJF hosted the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and over 30 per cent of the 18,000 attendees came from outside Jordan, FJF Executive Director Souha Bawab said at a press conference.

"Through the Amman Citadel Festival… we hope to promote Jordan as a hub for art and culture… and make it a world class destination," an FJF statement quoted the NGO's chairman, Isam Salfiti, as saying.

Various music styles will be featured at the festival, with Jordanian soprano Dima Bawab performing "Blessed Cecilia" together with the Choir of London and local artists Zain Awad and Hani Mitwasi performing a popular repertoire.

Besides promoting local artists, the festival also aims to provide employment opportunities for around a hundred young Jordanians, with positions ranging from usher to environmental protection agents to safeguard the site.

Ticket prices will range from JD10 to JD80, but the FJF will offer special prices for students and free tickets to underprivileged Jordanians.

"We have established partnerships with UNICEF, Madrasati and other NGOs to make sure underprivileged Jordanians and public school pupils access the festival's performances," Bawab told The Jordan Times over the phone.

Each of the nine performances are expected to attract an audience of 3,000 people, according to the organisers.

Future events on FJF's agenda include the popular Irish performance "River Dance" and a concert at the Dead Sea featuring Andrea Bocelli, according to the organisers.