Festival management strategies, organization and quality, the repetition and concentration of festivals in a limited number of locations, as well as mechanisms for organizing, managing and diversifying them, were the main topics discussed during a focus group organized by Vision Foundation on festivals in Sulaymaniyah.

The focus group, titled “A Strategy for Organizing Festivals and Events,” was organized by the Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies, with the participation of representatives from companies, organizations and relevant stakeholders. The discussion addressed the challenges facing festival management, as well as the quality and overall standards of festivals and ways to improve them.

The focus group was held on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. Participants noted that many of the festivals held in Sulaymaniyah are repetitive, while a number of them suffer from low quality. They also highlighted the lack of sufficient coordination and cooperation between festival organizers and government institutions.

The discussions also addressed the repetition and similarity of festivals, particularly food festivals. Participants pointed out that festivals are held repeatedly in only a limited number of designated locations, causing significant damage to the environment and green spaces in some parks. They emphasized the need to identify new locations for festivals and relocate some events to different areas and venues.

Some business owners and festival participants also noted that institutions of the Kurdistan Regional Government do not provide sufficient support for these festivals and that no dedicated budgets are allocated to them. They identified this as one of the factors contributing to the decline in festival quality and the lack of development in the sector.

The Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies will publish the outcomes of the focus group in the form of a policy paper and a scientific study addressing a strategy for organizing and developing festivals.