Mahrajan Festival brings Arabic music to London's Crystal Palace Bowl

On Saturday, the UK hosts its first entirely Arabic music festival, Mahrajan Festival, at Crystal Palace Bowl. Organized by Live Nation and ABU Recordings, the event aims to 'honour Arabic music across all generations'. Headliners include Palestinian singer-songwriter Saint Levant, Dystinct, and Khaled. Egyptian singer Lella Fadda, who raps in Egyptian Arabic, expressed excitement about performing and connecting with audiences who may not know her. Fans like Mariam Azam, 24, and Natalina Popat, 25, see the festival as a milestone for representation, noting the lack of positive Arab representation in mainstream media. Popat, who grew up in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, is particularly looking forward to Saint Levant's song 'Samra', which celebrates darker skin tones. The festival is seen as a step forward for Arabic music, bringing together communities from across London and the UK.