Mehriban Aliyeva watched a performance with her family members

On November 1, the performance “Zikra: A Night of Memories” was presented at the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre as part of the Baku International Art Festival (BIAF-2026).

AZpress.AZ reports that First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and her family members attended the performance.

Commissioned by “Wadi AlFann”, an international cultural venue dedicated to contemporary art located in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, the performance “Zikra: A Night of Memories” is the latest creative work by award-winning director and choreographer Akram Khan.

Bringing together the unique movement language of contemporary dance and classical Indian dance, Akram Khan collaborated on this project with visual director Manal AlDowayan.

In the performance, women gather for one night to awaken the spirits of those who lived before them. Through sacred ritual and the recalling of shared memories, they transcend the boundaries of time, connecting the past with the present and performing an act of spiritual renewal.

The original music for the performance was composed by Indian-American singer and composer Aditya Prakash.

The visual world of the performance was created by artist Manal AlDowayan of “Wadi AlFann”. She is known for her large-scale multimedia installation exhibited at the Saudi Arabian pavilion during the 60th Venice Biennale.

In the “Zikra” project, the artist combined traditional craftsmanship with modern forms. Natural dyes reflect the color shades of the desert, while geometric patterns originating from the heritage of Al-Ula emphasize the role and symbolic meaning of each character.

It should be noted that the stage work was inspired by the ancient myths and magnificent natural landscapes of Al-Ula. The site-specific world premiere of the performance was presented in January 2025.