Manila is gearing up for its first-ever Manila International Dance Festival (MIDFest 2023), a three-day event that aims to promote peace, unity, and cultural diversity through dance and music.
The festival, which will open on September 8 at the historic Rizal Park, is a collaborative project led by Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto and organized as part of efforts to showcase Filipino culture, arts, and heritage.
The overarching theme of MIDFest 2023 is “Celebrating Diversity, Peace, and Unity Through Dance and Music.” The Vice Mayor believes in the power of creative arts to foster understanding among different communities and unite them in common goals.
Festival Director Archie Dema-ala explains, “It is our aim at MIDF or MIDFest 2023 to use the dance art form in the promotion of peace and unity among diverse communities while strengthening our resolve to continue propagating our cultural dances in our modern world.”
The festival will feature 18 renowned cultural dance groups from the Philippines, along with five groups from Indonesia, India, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand, showcasing their unique cultural heritages through dance and music.
MIDFest 2023 will go beyond the stage by taking these dance groups on a performance art tour, visiting partner malls and universities in Manila. The main highlights of the festival will be held at Rizal Park and Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila, emphasizing the historical significance of these locations.
Festival Director Archie Dema-ala expressed his excitement at the positive response from participants, both local and international, noting that it reflects the festival’s mission to foster cultural exchange and heritage appreciation.
This inaugural festival aims to spotlight Manila as the seat of power, home to the Malacañan Palace, and Intramuros, a walled city from colonial times in the heart of Old Manila, including Fort Santiago, a storied citadel and former military prison.
MIDFest 2023 is organized in partnership with the Department of Tourism, National Parks Development Committee, Concert at the Park, Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila, Senator Loren Legarda, Hotel Sogo, Lyf Hotel, Archiestic Events Production, and VERDE Creatives.
For inquiries about partnership and sponsorship, please email midf2023@gmail.com or contact Bemz Benedito or Liam Herrera, MRO, MIDF 2023, at +63.917.998.4584 or +63.956.750.3577.
