In an unexpected move, two major festivals slated for Dhaka's Army Stadium have been postponed due to security concerns and the sudden cancellation of venue bookings. The highly anticipated International Folk Music Festival and Bengal Foundation's Classical Music Festival have both been put on hold, leaving event organisers and attendees in uncertainty.

Folk Music Festival

Following a five-year hiatus, the International Folk Music Festival was scheduled to return on January 23, 2025, at the Army Stadium. However, on Wednesday, event organisers announced the festival's postponement after security concerns led to the venue's booking being suspended.

"We're unsure of the exact reasons behind the suspension," said Asifuzzaman Khan, director of Sun Communications, the organising entity. "We were informed to hold off the event due to security reasons, so that's what we've done. It appears that all events booked at the Army Stadium for January and February have been suspended, which affects every organiser."

Regarding when the festival might be rescheduled, Khan said, "It won't happen before February. All artistes had been confirmed for the January event, including performers from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, the UK, and others. We're notifying them about the postponement and will reschedule the event based on the country's situation after February."

Classical Music Festival

Bengal Foundation had also been making preparations for their prestigious classical music festival at the Army Stadium. However, their venue booking request was similarly cancelled under the blanket suspension of all events in January and February. 

The foundation is now uncertain about when the classical music festival will take place, especially after the last event was held back in 2018. Organisers had already initiated talks with both local and international artistes for this year's event.

"We've decided to postpone the event for now," said Director General Luva Nahid Choudhury of Bengal Foundation. "Once we have a new date, we will make an announcement."

Both festivals are highly anticipated by music enthusiasts, and their postponements have left the cultural community disappointed. Additional updates will be shared once new plans are finalised.

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