About NYAF

While the history of the earliest Arab immigration to the US predates the Declaration of Independence, the rich cultural heritage of Arabs and Arab Americans remains marginalized. New York Arab Festival (NYAF) fights the erasure of Arab and Arab American identity in the city of New York through the celebration of Arab art, culture, and heritage. NYAF was founded by Arab, American, and Arab American artists, creators, and policymakers in New York to address cultural erasure, urban inequality, and artistic injustice. Its inaugural edition was launched in April 2022, honoring the month of Ramadan and the Biden administration’s recognition of National Arab American Heritage Month. NYAF presents artists from diverse backgrounds, showcasing the intersectionality of the Arab identity across myriad cultural backgrounds including African, Asian, Jewish, Mediterranean, Muslim, and others.


NYAF presents live performance, fashion, exhibitions, and live concerts, along with a robust program of virtual exhibitions, NFT drops, music events, and panels exploring arts and urbanism. The festival highlights Arab and Arab American artists and creators including Malekat Al Dabke, Arab Blues, Esraa Warda, Basma Al-Sharif, Ahmed Fakieh, and many more to be revealed soon.

NYAF is developed by HaRaKa Platform, an  international performance platform based in New York City, Berlin, Riyadh, and Cairo and operated by performance artists of immigrant backgrounds. NYAF is powered by Wizara, a blockchain-based creative studio, consultancy and ecosystem dedicated to the arts.

NYAF is curated by Adham Hafez, and the RASEEF program for public arts is curated by Adam Kucharski.

NYAF producer and director of press: Cindy Sibilsky
NYAF designs and brand identity: Omar Houssien