Eight shows, including three foreign, are on the programme for the sixth edition of the El Jem World Music Festival that will take place from August 20 to September 2 at the Roman Coliseum in El Jem.

The programme for this year's festival was unveiled at a press conference held in Tunis on Thursday by the organising committee of the festival. It features a wide range of musical genres (jazz, reggae, blues, flamenco, Sufi music and hip-hop).

The three international shows on the agenda are Dee Ray and Dream Ladies, Gospel Life Rejoice and Gipsy Guitar Kings.

Sofien Safta will open the festival and Sami Lajmi's Ziara will close it. Ouled Jouini, Erkez HipHop and Mortadha are also on the bill.

President of the El Jem World Music Festival, Badie Chaabane, cited financial difficulties due to a limited budget.

The funds allocated to the festival by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts are insufficient, he said. This is compounded by their "late disbursement, which has affected the progress of the programme," Chaabane said.

The El Jem Cultural Tourism, Heritage and Development Association, which organises the festival, has announced that this year's event will be held in partnership with the Tunisian Federation of Travel and Tourism Agencies (FTAV).

Here are the dates for the 8 shows on the El Jem World Music Festival programme:

Sunday, August 20: Sofien Safta

Tuesday, August 22: Dee Ray and Dream Ladies

Thursday, August 24: Gospel Life Rejoice

Friday, August 25: Ouled Jouini

Saturday, August 26: Gipsy Kings

Monday, August 28: Erkez HipHop

Wednesday, August 30: Mortadha

Saturday, September 2: Ziara by Sami Lajmi

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse