Friday Nov 06, 2026
Friday Nov 06, 2026
Friday, 6 November 2026 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
What happens when different traditions, diverse stories, transformative ideas, cross-cultural conversations and intergenerational hope come together on shared platforms?
This December, Colombo will host a cultural gathering that seeks to answer that question through the universal languages of music, literature, heritage and human connection.
The Festival of Sacred Sounds of South Asia and Friends 2026, presented by Mindful Collective Expressions (MCE) – The Arts Collective, will take place from 1–7 December 2026, bringing together acclaimed artists, musicians, writers, poets, scholars and cultural practitioners from across South Asia and beyond. Cargills is the Festival’s Principal Sponsor.
Under the theme “Beyond Differences Towards a Deeper Understanding of Shared Humanity,” the Festival seeks to create a space in which cultural diversity becomes a source of connection and artistic expression, opening pathways to discussion, exploration and celebration of shares human values across traditions.
Representatives from SAARC member countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — alongside international friends, including participants from Iran, Poland and the United Arab Emirates, will transform Colombo into a meeting ground for the exchange of cultures, ideas and artistic traditions.
This is not simply a series of performances. It is an invitation to encounter one another differently — through the music we inherit, the stories we tell, the histories we share and the futures we have the power to shape together.
With Cargills as Principal Sponsor, the Festival marks an important milestone in the continuing work of Mindful Collective Expressions to advance artistic collaboration, intercultural understanding and peacebuilding through the arts.
As preparations gather momentum, MCE is mobilising additional financial resources, institutional partnerships and in-kind contributions to realise the full ambition of this seven-day regional and international gathering.
The Festival presents an opportunity for corporate institutions, philanthropic foundations, cultural organisations and individual benefactors to become part of a wider cultural undertaking — one that supports artists, creates meaningful opportunities for young people, strengthens regional connections and places the arts at the heart of conversation that awaken understanding and solidarity.
MCE welcomes partners who share this vision to join the initiative and contribute to building a Festival whose impact extends beyond its December program. The ambition is not only to bring people together in Colombo, but to establish relationships, collaborations and cultural exchanges that can continue to grow across borders long after the Festival concludes.
At a time when the need for understanding across communities remains profound, the Festival advances a compelling proposition: that our differences need not divide us, and that artistic expression can help us discover the humanity we hold in common.
