Marrakech – The New York Arab Festival (NYAF) is back for its fourth edition, running from April 1 to May 30, with DJ duo Haza Party headlining.
Launched in 2022 to honor Arab American Heritage Month, NYAF fights the erasure of Arab identities in a city Arabs have called home for over 300 years.
The New York-based collective Haza Party — known for blending beats from the Arab, Asian, and Pan-African diasporas — is bringing a special edition of its signature Haza Souk to NYAF, complete with DJ sets, merch, and, of course, amazing food.
The festival’s lineup is just as dynamic. On April 8, Palestinian poet Ahmad Almallah debuts his latest book, Wrong Winds, while on April 13, Palestinian rockstar Rasha Nahas takes the stage at Brooklyn Art Haus.
Dancers, take note: April 16 marks a Samia Gamal centennial tribute at the Jalopy Theatre, where choreographers Angie Assal and Soumaya MaRose will honor the legendary Egyptian performer’s legacy.
Film buffs? The NYAF Arab Shorts Film Program at Bartos Screening is spotlighting talents like Alia Haju and Khaled Jarrar.
And from May 1-4, NYAF teams up with La MaMa ETC for a “festival within a festival,” fusing spoken word, dance, music, and multimedia in four experimental performances inspired by poets Etel Adnan and Joyce Mansour.
Artists include Andrew Riad, Nadia Khyrallah, Sarah Brahim, with Amr Kotb leading the charge.
Closing on May 14, Lebanese American singer-songwriter H.Sinno will transform Amazon customer reviews into pop songs in “Poems of Consumption”.
