The 2023 World Culture Festival was the fourth global event of its kind, and the first held in North America. It hosted over 17,000 entertainers from more than 35 countries, with performances from a1,000-person Chinese choir, an Iranian Folk Orchestra and dance acts featuring dozens of different styles. The festival also had over 50 local food trucks serving food from all over the globe.
The festival took place on the National Mall from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1st, and it included music, dance, meditation and international cuisine. In the Festival Village, there were tents all over the Mall with activities, crafts, seminars and information sessions. Attendees could paint their surroundings, join a poetry workshop or pop into a seminar on how to get the perfect night’s sleep. Tickets were free.
The event is projected to boost Washington’s revenue by $30 million dollars, according to NPR. Almost half a million people registered, and more than 65 prominent global figures, including many former and current prime ministers and presidents, were expected to be in attendance.
“Today, especially post-COVID, there is so much aggression, there’s so much violence in society on one hand and depression on the other hand. I thought it is very timely for us to bring a festival that would unite people across the spectrum,” said event founder and acclaimed guru Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in an interview with DCist.
The event was organized by The Art of Living, a non-profit organization focused on meditation, well being and happiness. Founded by Shankar in 1981, the organization is based in Bangalore, India and has centers in 180 countries. In 2006, The Art of Living organized the first World Culture Festival in Bangalore.
Shankar, who has been praised by world leaders such as President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has over five million subscribers on Facebook and Twitter. According to his biography, Shankar’s influence has reached over 500 million people, and his followers will travel hundreds of miles to receive his blessings and advice.
“The purpose of the World Culture Festival is to send a message that the whole world is one family and we can all coexist with our differences,” states the festival’s website. “This is a movement for the revival of universal human values such as love, compassion, and friendliness.”
The festival brought together traditions and peoples from all over, as they connected through the universal languages of music, dance, food and mindful meditation. On Sept. 30, Shankar himself held a free yoga and meditation session in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
“I’m going to the World Culture Festival because there’s so many cultures that often get overlooked, especially in America,” said Freshman Maira Zaidi. “I want to learn more about the diversity in the world and appreciate every unique culture and person.”
