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After a successful inaugural run last year, the World Culture Festival is coming back to the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi for its second edition from October 30 to December 7. Over the course of 37 days, the festival will host concerts, plays, workshops, screenings and more from artists representing over 140 different countries.

From the festival’s extensive programme, here are 10 events we’re really excited for.

Dance Night - November 2

One of the first big events of the festival, Dance Night has performances from US-based ballet collective Ballet Beyond Borders, Moroccan interpretive dancer Mustafa Ciem, Street Dancers — a group of break dancers from the Democratic Republic of Congo — and students of the Arts Council’s own School of Visual and Performing Arts (SOVAPA), including alumnus and renowned bharatanatyam performer Mani Chao.

Ustad Noor Bakhsh live - November 7

After winning hearts across Europe with his traditional Makrani tunes and improvised instruments, renowned Balochi benju player Ustad Noor Bakhsh is coming to Karachi with his band. The maestro, who plays an electric benju hooked up to a motorcycle battery, will be performing at the festival on November 7 and giving a workshop on traditional Balochi music on November 6.

Jazz Night - November 11

The Eva Klesse Quartett, a German jazz ensemble, will be treating audiences to a performance on November 11. Led by drummer Eva Klesse, Germany’s Jazz Artist of the Year, the group is hot off the success of their sixth album and has performed at jazz festivals the world over.

Back to School, Where Words Die and The Circle of Truth - November 15

Three shows on one ticket, the festival will be featuring an improv play with contemporary and traditional dance performances.

Back to School is an improvised comedy from Emirati group Improv.ae and the show is sure to keep audiences engaged by making them part of the story.

Where Words Die is a powerful contemporary dance from Kuwait’s LAPA Dance Company honouring journalists killed during Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The Circle of Truth is Shezi Khan’s fusion of the traditional kathak and bharatanatyam styles of dance.

The Dead River - November 17

Based on Abdul Qadir Junejo’s book of the same name, The Dead River brings history to the stage in a fictional account of life along the now dried up Haakro River. The play explores the tragedy of the river drying up and its impact on the communities that depended on it for survival.

Los Tigres - November 19

Spain has built up a reputation for crime capers, so we have high hopes for Alberto Rodriguez’s Los Tigres. The film follows Antonio, an industrial diver and his sister Estrella, a seabed researcher, as they try to pull of a heist underwater.

Salaryman Macbeth - November 20

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play based in modern Japan, Salaryman Macbeth is the tale of an office worker climbing the corporate ladder powered by a mix of greed and ambition. The comedy explores how just about anyone can become a tyrant when given a little bit of power.

Dance Workshop by Nighat Chaudhry - November 23

Internationally acclaimed kathak artist and choreographer Nighat Chaudhry will be conducting a workshop at the World Culture Festival on her art form and its storytelling ability. Participants will be taught classical footwork and how to express themselves through dance.

Sitar Workshop with Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan - December 2

Sitar in Global Perspective, a workshop by Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan, will take participants through the intricate and technical world of classical music, teaching them how to interpret ragas and improvise melodies on the sitar.

Peace and Pieces - November 1-4, 6-9 and 14-18

This three-part art exhibition forms the backbone of the festival’s visual arts section, exploring the cost of conflict and the pursuit of peace in a multimedia format. The first volume, running from November 1 to 4, has artists from Argentina, Comoros and Bangladesh displaying their work. The second volume from November 6 to 9 displays works by SOVAPA alumni and a third volume has works from other Pakistani artists, running from November 14 to 18.

Tickets to the festival’s many events are available on the Arts Council’s website. Workshops, film screenings and art displays are free to attend, but attendees are required to register on the website beforehand.