The announcement was made at a press conference on Monday. The festival had said a month earlier that Egypt will be the guest of honour, which is a first in the history of the festival.

Egypt will be represented by numerous bands and musicians performing between 28 July and 6 August at 23 theatres across Jordan.

Undeniably, the festival's gem is the ancient Roman amphitheatre, part of the greatly preserved citadel, located in Jerash, a city north of the capital Amman.  

The detailed programme is yet to be announced. However the festival revealed the names of some Arab musicians to take part in the event. These include Khalid Abdulrahman (Saudi Arabia), Wael Kfouri (Lebanon), Ragheb Alama (Lebanon), Najwa Karam (Lebanon), George Wassouf (Syria), El-Nafikha (Egypt), Tablet Elsitt (Egypt), Diana Karzoun (Jordan), Hamdi Al Manaseer‎ (Jordan), Nedaa Sharara (Jordan), Hani Mitwasi (Jordan), Saber Rebai (Tunisia), and Circassian Folkloric Troupe.

Executive Director of the Festival Ayman Samawi said at the press conference that the festival will open with a celebration titled River of Gold. The event is meant to highlight Jerash as a cradle of civilisations and refer to its many cultural eras, including the Greek-Roman, Nabateans (ancient Arab culture), Islamic eras, until present. 

Referring to the event as "the most important music festival in the Arab world," Samawi revealed that the celebration will showcase 80 artists presenting a variety of formations and genres, music and dance, folkloric and modern styles, all stressing life elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

The festival will then hold 343 artistic activities and 50 cultural events showcasing more than 2,000 Jordanian artists in addition to their Arab and international counterparts. 

The rich programme will present 20 music genres and include performances that touch on the creative approach to their respective countries' musical heritage. The musicians come from different generations with the youngest performers being just three years old.

The festival will also include pavilions in which artisans will present products from their countries. One pavilion will be dedicated to support and raise awareness about Down Syndrome (DS) by showcasing the unique crafts of people affected by DS.

The Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts is an annual event held in Jerash — a historical city located 48 kilometres north of the Jordanian capital Amman.

The festival was founded in 1981 by Queen Noor and has featured many artists from Jordan and the Arab world across the decades, in addition to performances and concerts by international artists.