CULTURAL PALACE STAGE.
The festival hosts many national and international acts and we were honoured to appear as the first group from Ireland. The fabulous open air stage is situated outside the city’s Cultural Palace and provides seating for 2000 people.
RAMALLAH CULTURAL PALACE.
Shortly after arriving in Ramallah we travelled to the venue for an eventful soundcheck. The area was experiencing an extremely hot spell, even by Middle Eastern standards and so we found ourselves rehearsing in temperatures of nearly 40 degrees Celsius. The floor of the stage was so warm that the soles of our pumps started melting! However, in true innova fashion we persevered and thoroughly enjoyed some time in the pool afterwards.
Our performance that night was fantastic. The audience was so welcoming and appreciative of the show that we produced. We were also delighted to debut our new costumes for the occasion.
The following day our wonderful hosts arranged a tour of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. This was truly an amazing experience. Religious or not, every one of us could appreciate the rich history and cultural significance of the cities. We visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Damascus Gate, the Church of the Nativity and overlooked the Temple Mount. Alongside these tourist sites we experienced the bustling pace of Middle Eastern city life and were struck by the juxtaposition of modern living in such a sacred place.
VIEW OF JERUSALEM.
MARKETS OF THE OLD CITY.