Feature: Palestinians celebrate drive-in music festival amid COVID-19
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, 10 19, 2020
Palestinians enjoy a moment in a drive-in music festival in the West Bank city of Jericho on Oct. 16, 2020. Dozens of Palestinians from the West Bank gathered inside their cars at Jericho karting park to attend a drive-in music festival. (Photo by Luay Sababa/Xinhua)
by Sanaa Kamal
RAMALLAH, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Palestinians from the West Bank gathered inside their cars at Jericho karting park to attend a drive-in music festival.
The festival, which was launched on Friday, is a part of the Palestine Alternative Music Festival series, Rami al-Khatib, the coordinator of the event, told Xinhua.
"We held the festival for the fifth time, despite the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Palestinians territories," the young man explained.
Inspired by similar events held in Turkey and other countries across the region, the idea is to "restore people's normal lives and adapt to the changing reality."
While many Palestinian bands were playing music, the audience turned on their cars' lights.
"This joyful atmosphere has been missed amid the closure imposed by the Palestinian government," al-Khatib said, adding that "the people here are longing to restore their joy."
Omar Ahmed, from the West Bank town of Silfit, attended the festival with three of his friends to enjoy its bustling atmosphere and its modern songs.
"It is a nice feeling to participate in a festival unconventionally and to keep pace with the exceptional situation in which we currently live," the 25-year-old young man told Xinhua.
For her part, Amira Al-Hajj from Bethlehem said it was the first time she attended a music festival this year because of the lockdown.
"I am a regular visitor of such events and I was afraid that this time around I will not be able to make it because of the circumstances," she explained. Enditem
