Aqaba Traditional Arts Festival 2026

The Aqaba Traditional Arts Festival runs for four days each November at the Aqaba Cultural Palace, drawing performers, craftspeople, and storytellers from across Jordan and neighbouring countries. The festival is organised to preserve and promote folk traditions that are at risk of being lost as younger generations move toward urban centres, and it provides one of the few regular stages where Bedouin music, Circassian dance, Palestinian embroidery, and coastal Aqaba heritage are all represented together.

Programme highlights

The festival runs from around 10:00 am to late evening each day, with a mix of daytime workshops and evening performances. Daytime activity focuses on the handicraft market and demonstration areas, where artisans show traditional weaving, pottery, silver jewellery making, and calligraphy. Visitors can purchase directly from makers, and prices are generally fair — the festival is not aimed at tourist souvenir traffic but at genuine craft exchange.

Evening performances in the main hall feature musical ensembles playing traditional Jordanian and Arabic folk styles, including dabke group dancing, poetry recitation, and storytelling sessions. The programme for 2026 will be confirmed closer to the date; past editions have included guest ensembles from Egypt, Palestine, and Lebanon.

Getting there

The Aqaba Cultural Palace is centrally located in Aqaba city, within walking distance of the main hotels along the corniche. Aqaba is easy to reach by flight from Amman (Queen Alia airport to King Hussein International Airport, approximately 50 minutes), or by road in around 3.5 to 4 hours. The city is also a popular base for diving and Red Sea activities, making it straightforward to combine the festival with a few days on the water.

Practical information

Entry to the festival grounds is typically free or priced at a nominal JOD 2—3 day pass; individual performance tickets for headline evening shows may be sold separately. Exact pricing is released in October via the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) cultural listings. The weather in Aqaba in November is warm and dry, averaging around 26 degrees Celsius during the day and around 18 degrees in the evening — light, comfortable clothing is appropriate for daytime visits, with a layer for late evening shows.

The surrounding area has good restaurant options catering to most budgets. If you are staying in Aqaba for the festival, book accommodation a few weeks in advance as November is a popular month in the city before the high winter tourist season fully kicks in. For wider context on travelling to this part of Jordan, our getting around Jordan guide covers road, air, and bus connections.