BBC News Persian is celebrating Nowruz – the festival of spring equinox, marking the beginning of new year in Iran and Afghanistan – with a TV spectacular. The programme will start at 02:30 GMT on Wednesday 20 March, about half an hour before this year’s spring equinox.
Nowruz has been celebrated by diverse communities for over thousands of years – in Western and Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea region and the Balkans, and South Asia. It is the most important annual festivity in Iran and is shared by Iranians of different ethnicities, languages, and religious beliefs.
Recorded in front of 120 guests at the iconic Radio Theatre in the BBC’s London Broadcasting House, the show brings a blend of music performed by nine renowned singers and performers from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, along with 35 other musicians. The BBC News Persian TV audiences are treated to exclusive premieres of four beautiful compositions of Persian songs.
Most of the artists and performers in the gala are women from diverse backgrounds and countries. These include the rising young pop star, Emma, and Hoora – the first female performer from Iran’s remote region of Sistan and Balochistan. The BBC’s Nowruz celebration also features an appearance by legendary Iranian actor, Alireza Mojallal, known for his roles of historic characters.
As part of the special programming, viewers will also be treated to a cooking show judged by Iranian chef-influencer Alireza Sarraf, as three Iranian celebrities team up with three BBC News Persian reporters to compete in cooking a traditional meal for Nowruz. The famous Iranian comic actor, Borzou Arjmand, will bring festive laughs to the cooking contest.
The Nowruz show will be available for watching on BBC Persian TV at 02:30 GMT on Wednesday March 20 2024, and on the BBC News Persian YouTube channel, with clips distributed on the BBC News Persian social-media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and X.
BBC News Persian is part of the BBC World Service.
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Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
