MOC: Babylon Festival kicks off   

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities confirmed today, Thursday, that the Babylon Festival will start today, according to the governorate's plans for artistic activities. 

The ministry stated, in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), that "the Babylon Festival will be held on schedule and according to the activities planned by the province," expressing its hope that "the Babylon Festival will return again after a hiatus that lasted from 2003.". 

The ministry called on the organizers of the festival, headed by the head of the Supreme Committee for the management of the festival, the governor of Babylon, and its participants to "present a new version of the festival worthy of Babylon's civilization and art, and in a manner that reflects the bright face of Iraq as a country of diverse cultures and spectra, and that the festival is an appropriate opportunity for convergence, rapprochement and the spread of love." 

The Organizing Committee of the Babylon Festival announced, according to the statement: "The technical and logistical preparations for the great festival, which will be launched today, Thursday, under the slogan: "Civilization from Babylon we make life," has been completed, and will last for five days." 

The statement pointed out that "the festival's activities include the participation of Arab and Iraqi artists and Arab and foreign folk bands, in addition to the activities of the Babylonian fashion show, playing and free drawing, paragliding activities, Arab and Kurdish balloons, as well as other cultural, literary and artistic activities."