MUSLIM ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING ARTS, DIVERSITY AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
Welcome to MACFEST 2025!
Festival Opening: Saturday, 22nd February 2025, 10.00am, The Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
A ground-breaking, multi-award-winning annual six months Muslim Arts and Culture International Festival held in the North-West Venues and online.
Our mission: Celebrating arts, diversity, and connecting communities. We are proud to offer you again a hybrid programme with digital, and some live events – a rich feast of over 85 events from 1st February to 30th July 2025 across the North West and internationally online, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Muslim diaspora communities. In our first year we successfully hosted 50 MACFEST events in 9 days across the city of Manchester.
With 9 themed festivals within MACFEST 2025, we are delighted to offer you an international art feast, with events hosted from Afghanistan, Kenya, Kuwait, Iraq, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, Canada, Philippines and the USA. A very warm welcome to our new and existing colleges and schools partners and the British and international students taking part in MACFEST 2025, including from Nigeria.
On 22nd February, we are celebrating our Opening Ceremony and Muslim Women’s Arts Festival, part of Muslim Women’s Arts Foundation, a sister company of MACFEST UK. This initiative celebrates Muslim women artists locally and internationally, with more than 20 events hosted in the North West, and globally from Afghanistan to the USA. This will feature over 75 creative women: poets, performers, writers, artists and culture champions.
Nearly all of our events are free. Donations are welcomed. Booking essential via Eventbrite.
Thank you for joining us! Enjoy!
Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA Founder, Executive Director and Producer of MACFEST and Muslim Women’s Arts Foundation and Festival
Muslim Arts Awards
MACFEST, Muslim Arts and Culture Festival, in partnership with the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology at The University of Salford have initiated a new Arts Award programme that celebrates and raises the visibility of Muslim artists through an exhibition and Award Ceremony.
2024 Muslim Arts Awards EXHIBITION 14th November – 3rd December 2024, New Adelphi Atrium, University of Salford.
MACFEST Arts Awards 2025 will celebrate and empower the most outstanding Muslim practising artists nationally. There will be a winner in each category recognised at the Awards Evening and all Finalists will be featured in a curated exhibition at the University of Salford in 2025.
Heritage Tours
Explore the history, heritage, art, cuisine and culture of Islam around the world. Join us on our 2025 Tours: Oman, Cambridge and Albania!
For six years MACFEST has helped you explore Islamic art and culture by showcasing the works of Muslim creatives around the world.
Now we invite you to join us as we take you on a journey of discovery that delves into both the hidden and known gems of the Islamic world through a series of artfully curated tours organised in partnership with Islamic Travels.
Register your interest via: tours@macfest.org.uk
Muslim Arts and Culture Festival (MACFEST) returns with first ever Muslim Arts Awards, vibrant events and Heritage Tours
MACFEST 2023: Celebrating Muslim Arts and Culture in the UK
MACFEST 2025: 9 THEMED FESTIVALS – A FEST OF ARTS AND CULTURE
FESTIVAL OF WORDS AND BOOKS
RAMADAN AND EID CELEBRATIONS
FESTIVAL OF CALLIGRAPHY AND ARTS
OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR PLANET
INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL
YOUTH FESTIVAL
MUSLIM WOMEN’S
ARTS FESTIVAL
NORTH WEST FESTIVAL
Our Mission
We aim to bring Muslim and non- Muslim communities together, promote social inclusion and overcome barriers.
Muslim Arts and Culture Festival will celebrate the diversity and richness of Muslim heritage. It will engage people of all ages and denominations, including school, college and university students and local communities.
Qaisra Shahraz MBA JP FRSA
Founder, Director & Curator of MACFEST and MWAFoundation