LAHORE, April 16: People began to pack the open-air theatre of the Alhamra Cultural Complex when its doors were opened on the concluding night of the first International Mystic Music Sufi Festival on Sunday.

For four-year-old Haris, the main attraction was the turns Goonga Saeen took while playing drums. “Its wonderful. I wish I could take turns like him,” he said.

Teenaged Shiraz and Afnaan had come to listen to and see Saeen Zahoor performing: “We have come here just for Saeen Ji for the third time.”

Saleem and friends was there for Husain Bakhsh Gullu and Rizwan Muazzam Qawwal.

Abdul Rauf, 74, did not want to miss the opportunity to hear the poetry of Maulana Romi, Hafiz Shirazi and Allama Iqbal from Iranians.

The fans of Ustad Abdullah Khan, Ustad Akbar Khamisu Khan, Zarsangha, Murli Noor Khamiso Jhoghai, Sodho Jogi, Humaira Sarang and Niazi Brothers continued pouring in till midnight, performing dhamal and raising slogans.

Ustad Wali Muhammad Khan and Ustad Gulam Hossein of Afghanistan’s Sufi Music Ensemble, Salar Aghili of the Mir Salar Mosallami Aghili Sufi Ensemble of Iran got a thunderous applause from the audience.