This weekend, the eyes of the entire world will be on Washington D.C., America. But it will happen and the reason for this is also very specific. From September 29 to October 1, the US capital is going to host the fourth edition of the Art of Living’s ‘World Culture Festival’, an unforgettable celebration of diversity and unity. Set against the iconic backdrop of the US capital, the event’s stage alone is the size of a football field. A huge gathering of 17,000 artists, many heads of state and thinkers from more than 100 countries are going to participate in this program, which will gather at the National Mall. Five lakh people are expected to participate in it, making it an unprecedented global event of its kind.
The event includes more than 50 performances:
• A traditional Chinese cultural performance with 1,000 singers and dancers.
• A Garba festival with 7,000 dancers.
• Dance performance by 700 Indian classical dancers accompanied by live symphony.
• Hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with spectacular hip-hop performances by Curtis Blow, SHA-Rock, Sequence Girls and DJ Kool and other hip-hop legends, along with 100 breakdancers choreographed by the legendary King Charles and Kelly Forman Collective break dance of.
• 100 Ukrainian dancers will perform their traditional hopak.
• 1000 guitarists will play melodious guitar under the leadership of Grammy Award winner Mickey Free.
• A re-creation of Bob Marley’s classic ‘One Love’ by his grandson Skip Marley.
It was in the National Mall that Martin Luther King gave his famous ‘I have a dream’ statement in 1963 to spread the message of equality and unity in the world. A century before that, at the first World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda had given a powerful speech that stunned everyone present. There he addressed the representatives of the world’s major religions as his brothers and sisters and called for an end to religious fanaticism and intolerance. On September 29, 2023, at the National Mall, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will unite the people of 180 countries by eliminating the divisions of borders, religions and races under the message of ‘One World Family’.
Nothing brings people closer together like food, and hence many famous and delicious dishes from around the world will also be the center of attraction at this event. What makes this festival special is its commitment to giving emerging artists a platform to showcase their talent. Distinguished speakers included His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations; External Affairs Minister of India, Honorable S. Jaishankar; Honorable. US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy; US Senator, the Honorable Rick Scott; Honorable Nancy Pelosi and former President of India, His Excellency Shri Ram Nath Kovind, along with many other former and current heads of state and leaders.