The Habibi Festival is an annual five-day celebration of contemporary and traditional music from the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, held at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater in New York City. This new performing arts festival is a collaboration between the Director of Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Alex Knowlton, artist/composer/curator Yacine Boulares, and curator/producer Meera Dugal, who are bonded by the goal of creating more joyful spaces for performance, conversation, and storytelling from this part of the world. The festival highlights both the SWANA diaspora in the U.S. and international artists, often hosting their U.S. debuts.

Since its launch in 2021, Habibi Festival has provided a stage for torchbearers of centuries-old traditions—such as Noura Mint Seymali, who carries forward Mauritanian griot heritage, and Karim Ziad, a master of Gnawa rhythms—alongside artists reshaping contemporary Arab music, including Bab L’Bluz, pioneers of psychedelic Gnawa, and Omar Offendum, a Syrian-American hip-hop artist blending Arabic poetry with rap.

More than just a showcase, Habibi Festival positions music from this region as a living, breathing, and evolving art form—where even ancient traditions are infused with new life by contemporary artists. In addition to its flagship event at Joe’s Pub, Habibi Festival hosts pop-up concerts across NYC, bringing SWANA music to venues like BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, Bryant Park, and Pioneer Works. By supporting both established and emerging artists, the festival fosters cultural exchange, amplifies SWANA voices, and introduces U.S. audiences to the evolving soundscape of the Arab world.

Check out photos from the four past SOLD OUT editions of Habibi here as well as our episodes with our partner Afikra here!

The 5th edition of Habibi Festival will return to Joe’s Pub October 8-12, 2025 - tix to go on sale July 2025.