Ancient Babylon hosts Babil Festival from 9 to 16 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 04:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- Ancient Babylon hosts the 13th Babil Festival from 9 to 16 October 2026 in the archaeological site near Hillah, Iraq.
- The programme includes theatre, music, poetry, art exhibitions, book displays and discussion sessions.
- The festival opened on 9 October 2026 with participants from Iraq, Arab countries and around 42 countries worldwide.
- Ancient Babylon was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 and contains remains of the Neo-Babylonian capital.
Ancient Babylon hosts the 13th Babil Festival from 9 to 16 October 2026 at the archaeological site near Hillah in Iraq. The programme brings theatre, music, poetry, exhibitions and discussion sessions into a setting associated with the Neo-Babylonian capital.
The local name is not reproduced here because the site is identified by its established English name in Western European travel coverage.
Babil Festival brings theatre and music to Ancient Babylon
The festival opened on 9 October 2026, according to festival coverage from Shafaq News. The 13th edition is scheduled to continue until 16 October 2026, with Iraqi, Arab and international writers, artists, poets and musicians taking part.
The programme includes three theatrical productions, musical performances, a book fair involving about 40 publishing houses and eight visual art exhibitions. A collective exhibition presents work by around 50 Iraqi artists, while other events refer to ancient Babylonian civilisation through displayed replicas of historical artefacts.
The Iraqi News Agency reported that the festival includes theatre performances, concerts, poetry evenings, art exhibitions and intellectual seminars. Its report also places the programme at the ancient city and states that the local government provided transport to and from the festival.
A World Heritage city frames the October programme
Ancient Babylon stands within Babil Governorate, in the Shatt Al-Hillah Municipality, about 85 km south of Baghdad. The archaeological property includes remains inside the inner and outer city walls, together with selected agricultural areas around the ancient settlement.
UNESCO describes the site as the centre of the Neo-Babylonian Empire between 626 and 539 BCE. Its remains include city walls, gates, palaces and temples, while the property also contains later twentieth-century additions and villages within its boundaries.
The festival gives visitors a contemporary programme beside archaeological remains that UNESCO inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019. That connection is unusually direct: theatre and music are taking place within the same historic landscape whose walls and temples document the city at the height of Neo-Babylonian power.
UNESCOs World Heritage decision records the site as an archaeological testimony to one of the influential empires of the ancient world. The decision also identifies the remains of the outer and inner city walls, gates, palaces, temples and the ziggurat associated with the Tower of Babel tradition.
Transport links the festival with Hillah
The Iraqi News Agency reported that Babil Governorate arranged transport to and from the festival. This is the specific access measure announced for the October programme, while the festival itself is located at the ancient site rather than in a hotel or conference venue.
Visiting Ancient Babylon: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Babil Festival runs at Ancient Babylon from 9 October 2026 through 16 October 2026.
- The programme includes theatre, concerts, poetry evenings, exhibitions and seminars. Transport to and from the festival was provided by the local government, according to the Iraqi News Agency.
- The site is in Babil Governorate near Hillah and about 85 km south of Baghdad. UNESCO places it within the Shatt Al-Hillah Municipality.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Ancient Babylon
When does the Babil Festival take place at Ancient Babylon?
The 13th Babil Festival runs from 9 October 2026 to 16 October 2026.
Where is Ancient Babylon and how do you get there?
The archaeological site is near Hillah in Babil Governorate, about 85 km south of Baghdad. The local government provided transport to and from the festival during the October programme.
What is Ancient Babylon?
It is an archaeological site containing the remains of the Neo-Babylonian capital, including walls, gates, palaces and temples. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 2019.
