International Academics and Artists to attend Islamic Arts Festival and Conference.
The third Sufi Festival of Islamic Arts and Mysticism will take place on July 19 to 20 2025 at Tramway Theatre and the adjoining Hidden Gardens in the Southside of Glasgow – two days of arts and culture from across the Muslim world, welcoming major artists from across the UK and abroad.
Sufi Festivals, Scotland’s only dedicated Muslim arts charity, is thrilled to announce the third Sufi Festival in Glasgow, a music and arts spectacular exploring the mystical tradition of Sufism and celebrating the arts and culture of Scottish Muslims. One full day of the programme will present a conference of Sufi scholars and speakers, shedding light on the spiritual practices and wisdom of this millennia-old tradition.
Programme Highlights include:
- Hamid Ali Naqeebi, widely recognized as the leading professional Qawwali singer in the UK. Trained with Qawwali masters in Pakistan, Hamid’s exceptional talent and dedication to the art of Qawwali, as well as his unique style fusing traditional Qawwali with contemporary elements, have garnered him immense recognition across diverse audiences. His music is a powerful transmission of a deep, soulful tradition, with roots going back to the 10th century, that fuses philosophy and mystical poetry with a life-affirming ritual that conveys a message of peace, love and unity for all.
- İstanbul Sema Grubu, Türkiye’s premier Whirling Dervish group, preserving the traditional Sema ceremony of devotional Turkish music and whirling, a key aspect of the Mevlevi order founded by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi in the 13th century. Led by Sheikh Hüseyin Erek, in this ritual – literally “The Sublime Ritual” – whirling dervishes mesmerise accompanied by vocals and instruments, each one with a deep symbolic spiritual meaning, thus conveying and honouring the rich mystical tradition of the Mevlevi Sufi order.
2025’s Sufi Festival is made possible with support from Creative Scotland, the Safera Foundation and others, partnered with Tramway, the arts venue operated by Glasgow Life, The Hidden Gardens Trust, and the Turkish Yunus Emré Institute.
Tickets are FREE via Eventbrite at www.sufifestival.org, with a paid evening concert with Qawwali headliner Hamid Ali Naqeebi, guaranteed to captivate the audience with his intricate, uplifting melodies and spellbinding rhythms.
Spread across the whole Tramway venue and adjoining Hidden Gardens, the Sufi Festival promises to be two days of family-friendly cultural immersion, including storytelling and accessible arts workshops, alongside a packed programme of world-class artists, poets, musicians and contributors. There will also be food stalls and a bazaar.
The Festival will host an array of speakers at a conference element event on Saturday 19 July (also ticketed), discussing the artistic disciplines and spiritual/philosophical/mystical thought of Sufism:
- Shaykh Dr Muhammad al-Ninowy, Professor of Theology at the University of Atlanta and director of the Madina Institute
- Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikir, UK-based Islamic scholar and teacher, founder and leader of the respected charity Ulfa Aid and the much-loved London arts and community hub Rumi’s Cave
- Shaykha Noshin Gul, esteemed Quranic scholar, certified in the practice and instruction of the sacred art of reciting the Qur’an endows
- Sukina Noor, speaking on the Spiritually Therapeutic Journey of the Sufi Qasida
- Ayşe Akyürek, a French-Turkish researcher at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris, specializing in the Turkish Mevleviye, from whom the Whirling Dervishes arise.
Artists participating in the Sunday programme will include:
- Nader Khan, a Canadian singer-songwriter, recording artist, producer, arts educator, and musicologist, with a specific focus on traditional and contemporary Islamic devotional/Sufi music
- Sukina Noor, an internationally renowned poet, spoken-word artist, playwright, workshop facilitator, educator and public speaker who has toured and led writing workshops across UK, Europe, America and Africa
- Khayaal Theatre Company, a multi-award-winning theatre company that have spent over 20 years promoting cross-cultural theatre in the UK, exploring Muslim world literature and the experience of Muslims in the modern world for the stage, radio and screen
- Jumana Moon, a highly celebrated revivalist of Muslim storytelling who draws inspiration from myth and legend, particularly from the Islamic world.
- Ahmed Ikhlas is an International Dub Poet drawing on his Jamaican heritage and British upbringing to form a unique style of music and poetry which he uses in praise of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to broadcast a message of love, change and empowerment
- Medina Trevathan, an interdisciplinary artist who will be offering multisensory, immersive henna workshops touching on the historical, cultural and spiritual significance of henna
Background
Header image is Jumana Moon, courtesy of Sufi Festival.
Tariq Mahmood, Festival Organiser, says: “We are truly honoured to once again have the opportunity to serve communities in Glasgow and beyond. There are many enabling factors that make projects of this type a reality, including funders, partners, volunteers and of course the guests that come to our events. We are humbled and grateful to each of them for allowing us this opportunity to bring communities together to share culture, love and kindness.”
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery, which, now in its 30th year, has supported over 14,600 projects with more than £501.9 million in funding through Creative Scotland and its predecessor, the Scottish Arts Council. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.