Dance and Light Took Centre Stage During AlUla Arts Festival

A look back at ‘Thikra: Night of Remembering’ and ‘Wadi AlFann Presents James Turrell’ – two events that exemplify the beauty and diversity of artistic expression in AlUla

This year, the AlUla Arts Festival celebrated artistic innovation with two programs: Thikra: Night of Remembering, a world-class performance by Akram Khan and Manal AlDowayan, and Wadi AlFann Presents James Turrell, an exhibition showcasing the visionary artist’s work.

Wadi AlFann, meaning "Valley of the Arts," is set to become a stunning 65-square-kilometer global cultural destination for contemporary land art. Nestled within the breathtaking canyons of AlUla, it will permanently feature works by renowned international artists, seamlessly integrated into the region’s natural landscape.

Using two very diverse modes of artistic expression, these events showcased how culture and creativity take on elevated new dimensions amid AlUla’s wide-open spaces.

In a spellbinding world premiere, the Akram Khan Company unveiled its latest masterpiece, ‘Thikra: Night of Remembering’, a performance that transcended time and space. Set against the awe-inspiring backdrop of Wadi AlFann, this bespoke production was crafted in collaboration with celebrated Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan. Featuring an original score by Aditya Prakash, meticulously designed costumes, and a cast of 14 internationally renowned dancers, ‘Thikra’ was a quenching oasis for the senses.

The Arabic word “thikra,” meaning memory, inspired the dance performance’s narrative that imagined an annual gathering devoted to ancestral knowledge. Through movements rich in symbolism, the choreography explored themes of forgetting, healing, and collective memory, embracing the idea that “without a past, there is no future.”

Following its AlUla debut, Thikra will adapt to theatre stages worldwide, embarking on a 50-performance global tour that promises to spread its message far and wide.

Art lovers were also treated to a luminous journey through the work of James Turrell, one of the most influential figures in the light and space movement. The exhibition, ‘Wadi AlFann Presents James Turrell’, near the ATHR Gallery offered a rare glimpse into the artist’s creative process, featuring renders, architectural plans, and a constellation map for his upcoming monumental site-specific installation in Wadi AlFann.

On display were also iconic works, including a Cross Corner projection and a Glasswork piece from AlUla’s contemporary art collection. The exhibition, a collaboration between Wadi AlFann and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), was co-curated by Arts AlUla and Michael Govan, Director of LACMA. The exhibition is free and open to guests until 19th April.

Turrell’s forthcoming installation is part of a landmark initiative at Wadi AlFann, which invites leading artists - including AlDowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, and Ahmed Mater - to create large-scale, site-specific works that harmonise with AlUla’s dramatic landscape.

As a rising global hub for contemporary art, the two events and wider AlUla Arts Festival placed the city squarely at the crossroads of cultural heritage and artistic innovation. With its stunning desert landscapes and visionary projects like Wadi AlFann, the city continues to inspire new creative dialogues, shaping its future as an epicentre for the arts.

Learn more about arts and culture in AlUla here