Under the auspices of the Department of Information and Culture, the Punjab Culture Day celebrations will take place from April 18 to 19 at the Lahore Arts Council, Alhamra. The event will be hosted by Punjab’s Minister for Information and Culture Azma Zahid Bokhari.
The grand celebration aims to showcase Punjab’s rich language, literature, heritage, history and vibrant cultural traditions, which continue to captivate admirers worldwide. This colourful occasion will feature performances by some of the province’s most celebrated voices, including Naseebo Lal, Sanam Marvi, Zeeshan Rokhri, Nadeem Abbas Lohnewala and Jameel Lohar.
A wide array of cultural attractions is set to take centre stage, including traditional dhol performances, camel and horse dances, flute and shehnai music, Heer singing, Luddi, Mahiye, Tappay, Boliyaan, Bhangra, Sufi dance and the reenactment of the iconic folk tale Heer Ranjha. The celebrations will also feature a Punjabi Craft Bazaar, street theatre and an art exhibition highlighting Punjab’s traditional values.
The visual arts exhibition will display the remarkable works of acclaimed artists Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi, Mehboob Ali, Ghulam Mustafa, Dr Ejaz Anwar, Mughees Riaz, Shehla Farooqi and Nazir Ahmad. A thought-provoking discussion session titled “Punjab: Today & Tomorrow” will feature renowned Punjabi scholars Parveen Malik, Dr Saeed Bhutta, Dr Sughra Sadaf, Nain Sukh, Anjum Qureshi and Dr Fauzia Ishaq, moderated by Dr Shaista Nuzhat. All events will be held in the evening, from 7pm to 10pm at Alhamra. It is worth mentioning that under the leadership of Minister Azma Zahid Bokhari, Punjab Culture Day was celebrated with great fervour across the province on April 14, marking a significant milestone in preserving and promoting Punjab’s cultural identity.