Israel Festival 2020Thu | Sep 3 | 5:00PM

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One of the most well-known and longest-running Jerusalem festivals, the Israel Festival is an annual three-week spring event that meshes professional performances by Israeli and international artists with Jerusalem’s distinctive venues. The festival features dance performances, live music shows, theater shows, and performance art from all around the world alongside original Israeli productions. Outdoor performances open to the public also play a major role in the festival as well as professional conferences, masterclasses, and workshops with international guest artists.

One of the special things about the Israel Festival is the way it takes advantage of Jerusalem’s unique venues where the Jerusalem stone and surrounding spaces exude amazing ambiance.

The venues this year include: Sultan’s Pool, the First Station, the Israel Museum, the Jerusalem Theater, Hansen House, Beit Shmuel,  Tower of David, Gerard Behar Center, Beit Mazia Theather, the YMCA and the Ein Kerem neighborhood.

The festival works in collaboration with Jerusalem Municipality, Jerusalem’s Culture and Sports Office, Jerusalem Fund, Mifal HaPais, numerous embassies, academic institutions, and cultural centers both inside and outside Jerusalem to promote cultural landscapes in Jerusalem and Israel and to encourage an international and artistic discourse.

Israel Festival 2019 Performances

There are dozens of performance to choose from, taking place all over the city. The majority of performances take place on the weekends – from Thursday until Sunday – in order to allow out-of-towners to enjoy an entire weekend in Jerusalem, taking in multiple performances.

Opening event – a pulse per second

The opening event of Jerusalem Festival will gather the best beat producers of the Israeli scene who will all come together on an open-air stage.

Two hours of unforgettable encounters with beat creators, bringing the local pulsation to a new level. Together we’ll celebrate the incredible abundance of voices and variety offered by the Israeli melting pot.

Where? Jerusalem Theatre
When? May 30th, 21:00
Purchase tickets: Festival website

Songs of Lear

An extraordinary musical experience based on the famous play “King Lear” by William Shakespeare. The show combines sounds, melodies, texts, and poetry to present you with a modern, non-linear and highly inciting adaptation.

Performed in English.

Where? Jerusalem Theatre
When? June 13rd 20:00, June 14th 13:00
Purchase tickets: Festival website

Hello

Martin Zimmerman is a rare stage chameleon with a two-decades repertoire. While looking for a partner, Zimmerman sheds his skin and lays his inner world on stage, with all the tragedy and humor in it. The setting seems static and permanent on first glance, but it becomes dynamic as we enter the private playground on Zimmerman.

Hello is one of a kind opportunity to witness a renowned artist who developed own unique body language.

Where? Jerusalem Theatre
When? June 14th 14:30, June 15th 21:15
Purchase tickets: Festival website

The Night of the Moles

After presenting us with the dragon’s melancholy at the Israel Festival 2016, Philip Ken returns to Jerusalem, this time with his new project – The Night of the Moles. In his audiovisual stage language, Ken creates an amusing and deceptive underground universe, where a family of huge moles is also a rock band.

The impressive picture that unfolds on the stage will turn the theater into a gigantic cave with allegorical and mythical meanings – a utopian microcosm that is open to fantasy and allows diving into a dream but also reflecting on the dark and mysterious aspects of our existence.

Where? Jerusalem Theatre
When? June 13th 21:30
Purchase tickets: Festival website

Heaven’s Door

The Israel Festival returns to the Tower of David Museum with an exciting performance marking the 400th anniversary since the birth of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, one of Yemen’s greatest Jewish poets. The best artists and performers will join this evening: Ester Rada, Berry Sakharof, Liron Amram, Miri Mesika, Sagiv Cohen, Idan Amadi, Zion Golan, Shay Tsabari and SHIRAN will perform Shabazi most famous songs along with new adaptations created especially for the show, diving into his fascinating art during a show that combines music and video-art.

Where? Tower of David
When? June 11st 21:00
Purchase tickets: Festival website