Our guide to this summer's Middle Eastern music festivals

From Morocco to Lebanon and Turkey, the musical festival scene is thriving in the region, offering eclectic acts and stunning scenery. Mawazine Where: Rabat, Morocco When: Friday to June 1 Who: Rihanna, Mohamed Mounir, David Guetta, Tinariwen, Enrique Iglesias, Deep Purple and many more Flight time from the UAE: eight hours and 30 minutes When was the last time you saw Najwa Karam and Deep Purple on the same bill? Such is the magic of the Mawazine, one of Africa’s largest music festivals bringing the best from the East and West. Held in various venues across the Moroccan capital of Rabat, Mawazine returns for its 12th edition with big names catering to tourists and the locals. With impromptu street shows and art workshops, Mawazine is an immersive experience for world music lovers and those wanting more from their Moroccan holiday. www.festivalmawazine.ma Dumtak Festival Where: Amman, Jordan When: Tuesday to June 1 Who: DAM, Cairokee and Mashrou' Leila Flight time: three hours and 10 minutes Those sick of hearing the processed sounds of Arab pop should revel in what is dubbed as a new festival dedicated to “alternative Arabic music”. Held at Amman’s Bisharat Golf Club, some of the acts made news headlines with their tunes. The Palestinian hip-hop group DAM’s politically charged lyrics built them a regional cult following, while Cairokee have created waves in Egypt for rock songs focusing on the recent revolution. www.artmedium.me Gnawa World Music Festival Where: Essaouira, Morocco When: June 20 to 23 Who: Youssou N'Dour, Will Calhoun and Maâlem Abdelkader Amlil Flight time: eight hours and 30 minutes Gnawa is the original trance music. The mystical genre, mostly practised in north Africa, transfixed generations for more than 500 years. The festival, held in the western coastal city of Essaouira, not only celebrates the art form but invites international artists to take part in jam sessions with gnawa masters – referred to as Maalem’s. The traditional Emirati folk group Annadi Al Bahri are one of the headliners alongside the world music star Youssou N’Dour. www.festival-gnaoua.net Jerash Music Festival Where: Jerash, Jordan When: June 26 to July 6 Who: Kadim Al Saher, Nancy Ajram, Carol Samahy and Ayman Zeib Flight time: three hours and 10 minutes Held amid the ancient Roman ruins of Jerash, the Arab music festival is mostly concerned with modern sounds. A who’s who of the Arab music world will perform among the city’s ancient ruins. www.jerashfestival.jo Baalbek International Festival Where: Lebanon When: June 30 to August 30 Who: Marianne Faithful, Renée Fleming, Assi Helani Flight time three hours and 20 minutes The old dame of Arab music festivals. The annual gathering, held in various venues in the ancient Roman city, has been pulling crowds and big acts since 1955. This year’s drawcard is the rock legend Marianne Faithful. The hometown hero Assi Helani will perform with a full orchestra while the American soprano Renée Fleming opens the festival with a show at the ancient Bacchus Temple. www.baalbeck.org.lb Byblos Festival Where: Byblos, Lebanon When: June 30 to July 4 Who: Yanni and Nightwish Flight time: three hours and 20 minutes Don’t let the first batch of headliners fool you. The festival has more to offer than Muzak and symphonic metal. Last year, a colourful array of acts took the outdoor stage in front of a 12th-century castle. Headliners included the legendary bluesman BB King, the French crooner Julien Clerc, in addition to Slash and Snow Patrol. www.byblosfestival.org Istanbul Jazz Festival Where: Istanbul, Turkey When: July 2 to 18 Who: Alicia Keys, John Legend and Bryan Ferry Flight time: four hours and 45 minutes Since 1994, the citywide festival has attracted some of the leading names from the jazz and pop worlds. This year’s performers living up to the reputation include the American vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, the saxophonist David Sanborn and the Syrian singer Lena Chamamyan. www.caz.iksv.org Tbilisi Open Air Where: Tbilisi, Georgia When: June 5 Who: Deep Purple, Tricky and Infected Mushroom Flight time: three hours and 20 minutes Accessible from Dubai through budget airlines, a trip to the one-day Georgian festival could make for a fine, quick holiday. The headliners appeal to various tastes, with Deep Purple’s Dubai Jazz Festival performance back in March showing the old dogs still rock hard. Trip-hop fans should enjoy Tricky’s performance, while Infected Mushroom will provide the dance beats. Also on the bill are the indie-group The Subways and the French dance-rock group Black Strobe. www.tbilisiopenair.ge Rock’n Coke 2013 Where: Istanbul, Turkey When: September 6 to 8 Who: Arctic Monkeys, Hurts, Dog is Dead and Duman Flight time: four hours and 45 minutes A good chance to see the Arctic Monkeys on their latest world tour in addition to sampling new tunes from the synth-pop duo Hurts. Turkey also boasts a strong rock scene and Duman will be flying the flag. The alternative group mixes Turkish folk with hard rock to create a sound all their own. The festival is held in the fields of Hezarfen Havaalani, a private airport. www.rockncoke.com Festival in the Desert Where: Timbuktu, Mali When: early next year Headliners: expect a variety of African artists and world music acts Flight time: 15 hours Even the dire travel warnings by western governments didn’t stop Bono and his wife from attending the Timbuktu-based festival in January. Performing on stage were festival regulars such as the desert bluesmen Tinariwen as well as leading African lights Bassekou Koyate, Habib Koite, Noura Mint Seymali and Vieux Farka Toure. The draw card, however, is the desert location, complete with midnight desert parties and outdoor camping. However, one needs to examine the fluid security conditions closer to the time before buying tickets. www.festival-au-desert.org A few more class acts If the rowdy festival crowds are not your thing, here are artists playing stand-alone shows in the region • Akon A crowd favourite in the region, the Senegalese rapper will perform at Beirut's premier music venue, the Forum de Beyrouth, on June 22. www.ticketingboxoffice.com • Roger Waters A must for Pink Floyd fans. Waters will perform the legendary album The Wall at Istanbul’s ITU Maçka Campus Amphitheatre on August 3. www.biletix.com • Slayer and Cradle of Filth Metal heads will salivate at the double bill on June 29 at Istanbul’s Sariyer Park. www.biletix.com • Linkin Park and The Smashing Pumpkins Sure, Hong Kong is a nine-hour flight away. However, those considering a trip to the popular destination have the option of checking out the 1990s rock kings The Smashing Pumpkins on August 13 followed by Linkin Park two days later. www.hkticketing.com sasaeed@thenational.ae Follow us on Facebook for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news. Follow us