The 20th edition of the Spring of Culture (SOC) festival returns with a season rooted in memory and place, celebrating art and heritage through a wide programme of experiences and events. Running from March to May, the calendar is already drawing crowds – with the Josh Groban concert now sold out – so mark your dates and make the most of this beloved cultural landmark.

What: Museum of Engraving and Printmaking – Jamal A. Rahim Gallery
When: Ongoing to May 29 | Sunday to Thursday: 9am to 2pm | Friday: 4pm to 8pm
Where: Pearling Path
Tickets: Free
This museum documents and celebrates the art of printmaking and its development in the Arab world and internationally. It features works by leading Arab artists alongside masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt and Francis Bacon, in addition to printmaking works, paintings and sculptures by Jamal A. Rahim.

What: Ghadah Alkandari – Maryam’s Sons
When: Ongoing to March 31 | Daily: 9am to 7pm
Where: Folk Art Space
Tickets: Free
From Kuwait, Ghadah Alkandari presents a body of work that ranges from large-scale figurative, acrylic paintings exploring the spectrum of human emotion and familial complexity, to smaller pen-and-ink drawings focussing on the banality of everyday life.

What: Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition – 52nd Edition
When: Ongoing to April 19 | Daily: 8am to 8pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Where: Bahrain National Museum
Tickets: Free
Since 1972, the Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition has remained a space where artists define the tone and tempo of each edition. This year brings together diverse perspectives and practices, reflecting how a creative community sees, thinks and responds to its moment. Across the works are moments of reflection, experimentation, material care and silences that reveal the distance between creative expression and the realities shaping our lives.

What: Karcocha
When and Where: March 20 | 4.30pm – The Avenues – Bahrain | 7.30pm – Bahrain Bay, North Wharf March 21 | 4pm – Marassi Galleria | 6pm – Al Liwan: Various locations
Tickets: Free
With over three million followers, Karcocha is a globally recognised street performer from Chile known for outstanding audience interaction. Through expressive mime, improvisation and non-verbal comedy, he turns spectators into active participants, creating spontaneous, playful moments in open public spaces. His highly visual performances make him a popular choice for familyfriendly street theatre.

What: Alarm Bell
When: 2nd, 3rd and 4th day of Eid Al Fitr | 8pm
Where: Cultural Hall
Tickets: TBC
This family-friendly comedy follows a household swept up by the appeal of quick fame and easy money, leading them toward unexpected outcomes. Set against this is a father who remains grounded in strong values, quietly witnessing the changes around him. Through humour and relatable moments, the play explores how the pursuit of shortcuts can affect family relationships and social behaviour.

What: Victor Rubilar
When and Where: March 26 | 8pm – The Courtyard, Riffa March 27 | 5pm – The Avenues – Bahrain | 8pm – Al Liwan March 28 | 11am – Qal’at Al Bahrain Site Museum | 4pm – Marassi Galleria | 6.30pm – Souq Al Baraha
Tickets: Free
Victor Rubilar has toured the world with thousands of performances across 61 countries, earning 26 international awards and appearing in the Guinness Book of Records more than 10 times. Combining football juggling with dance and comedy, he presents a high-energy show filled with world-class tricks, engaging audiences and turning spectators into part of the fun.

What: Photos À La Chair – Tree of Life
When: March 27 | 2pm to 5pm
Where: Tree of Life
Tickets: Free
Organised by Camille Zakharia and Ali Karimi, Photos À La Chair is a monthly public art gathering founded in 2017. A three-hour photoshoot event, it brings art and community together in a public setting, with each session featuring a different artist, location and bench. Over the past eight years, the initiative has held 32 sessions with more than 100 collaborators and over 1,000 attendees.

What: Dar Qalali
When: March 28 | 8pm
Where: Dar Al Muharraq
Tickets: Free
Fjiri takes centre stage in this traditional evening with one of Bahrain’s most distinctive seafaring arts, historically linked to sailors and pearl divers. Performed collectively, it forms a powerful musical expression that reflects the spirit of the sea. Spanning Bahri, Adasani, Haddadi, Mukhoolfi and Hassawi, each form is defined by its rhythm and performance style. Qalali Folk Band, among Bahrain’s oldest folk ensembles with a history of more than a century, continues to present authentic maritime songs locally and internationally, and received the Aga Khan Music Award in 2025.

What: Perfumes – Ensemble Agamemnon
When: March 29 | 8pm
Where: Bahrain National Theatre
Tickets: Free
Perfumes is a multi-sensory concert celebrating poetic and musical creation inspired by the scents of the Orient. Bringing together French and Italian Baroque compositions with selected fragrances, the performance unfolds as an immersive experience where sound and scent move in parallel. Drawing on Renaissance and Baroque traditions, the programme reflects how aromas such as frankincense, myrrh and Damascus rose inspired composers and poets, while referencing shared cultural and spiritual practices in which incense symbolises dialogue, connection and exchange between traditions.

What: Between Memory and Matter – Zahrah Alghamdi
When: March 29 to June 29 | Opening 7pm | Saturday to Thursday: 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm
Where: Memory of the Place – Bin Matar House, Muharraq
Tickets: Free
In this solo exhibition, Saudi artist Zahrah Alghamdi draws on the soil, stone and memory of her hometown, Al Baha. Materials carry histories and emotions, mediating between past and present, while traces of the artist’s gestures are fixed through organic matter she engaged with at the site of production. Rooted in figurative drawing, the work unfolds as a theatre of figures embodying memory and shared grief.

What: Al Istiqlal Dance Troupe
When: March 30 | 8pm
Where: Cultural Hall
Tickets: Free
In collaboration with the Embassy of Palestine, this special evening presents heritage as a living practice, shaping movement and music into collective expressions inspired by culture, memory and folk traditions. Founded in 2011, Al Istiqlal Dance Troupe brings together dancers and musicians from different generations, sharing moments drawn from celebrations, rituals and the enduring bond between people and land.

What: 4Tunes – Echoes of German Music
When: March 31 | 8pm
Where: Cultural Hall
Tickets: Free
The German band 4Tunes presents a concert celebrating iconic German songs loved across generations. Drawing on traditional Schlager alongside popular classics, the evening reflects Germany’s cultural identity and is presented in collaboration with the German Embassy in Bahrain.

What: Maestro Waheed Alkhan – Voices with the St Petersburg Orchestra and Manama Singers
When: April 2 | 8pm
Where: Bahrain National Theatre
Tickets: To Be Confirmed
Under the baton of Maestro Waheed Alkhan, this concert brings together musicians from Bahrain, Russia and Egypt in a multinational ensemble reflecting cultural collaboration. Featuring selections from his latest album Grace of Colors alongside highlights from earlier works, the programme blends Bahraini heritage with global orchestral traditions. Special segments and artistic surprises add further dimension to the evening.

What: Maestro Malfunction
When and Where: April 2 | 2.30pm – Nakheel Centre | 5pm – The Avenues – Bahrain | 8pm – Al Aali Mall April 3 | 4.30pm – Bab Al Bahrain, Post Office Museum | 8pm – Bahrain Bay, North Wharf
Tickets: Free
A perfectly timed musical disaster, Rolando takes to the stage convinced he is a great singer, only for everything to go wrong. A rebellious microphone sets off a chain of musical mishaps, physical comedy and deadpan clowning, drawing the audience into an escalating spiral of absurdity.

What: André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra
When: April 3 | 8.30pm
Where: Beyon Al Dana Amphitheatre
Tickets: From BD20
Returning for the fourth consecutive year, by popular demand, André Rieu once again lights up Al Dana with his renowned Johann Strauss Orchestra. Performing to the strains of The Second Waltz, the celebrated Dutch maestro and violinist presents a brand-new performance, promising an evening of elegance, emotion and unforgettable moments. ✤

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