LAHORE: The Punjab government has cancelled music performances in the 16-day Lahore Lahore Aye festival which opens on Saturday (today).

The venue of the festival has also been changed from the Alhamra Cultural Complex on Ferozepur Road to Alhamra on The Mall.

The change of the venue was due to the cancellation of major music shows which were to take place in the Open Air Theater (Alhamra Cultural Complex). Fireworks at the opening show have also been cancelled. The cancellations, which came abruptly just a day ahead of the launch, were disturbing for organisers who ran a media campaign to attract people. Prominent singers such as Hadiqa Kayani, Humera Arshad, Sahir Ali Baga, Arif Lohar and others were scheduled to perform.

The festival, which will now be inaugurated with a limited scale at the Alhamra Art Centre, will be opened by the chief minister on Saturday.

Sources said musical performances have been cancelled keeping in view the situation in Palestine. But many art-lovers said the government could have cancelled the event earlier as the Gaza war started some three weeks ago. Earlier cancellation, they said, would have saved a lot of money.

Lahore Arts Council Executive Director Tariq Mahmood Chuahdry said it was the decision of the government to cancel music shows. Now the festival will feature Sufi music, art exhibition and parallel theatre.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2023