TEHRAN -- The 15th National Citizen Street Theatre Festival has opened in Lahijan, northern Iran, bringing together 28 theatre groups from 13 provinces for more than 85 performances across seven public locations.
The festival opened on Thursday near the memorial to the Unknown Martyrs in Lahijan and will continue through Saturday. Performances are being staged at Be’sat Park, the grounds outside the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the eastern side of Lahijan Lake near the municipality, Street Roftehgar Park, Honar Park, Golha Park and Bam-e Sabz.
Festival artistic secretary Muhammad-Ali Sadegh-Hussein said the event is designed to bring theatre directly into the city’s public spaces, with participating groups presenting their productions over three days.
This year’s program features three competitive sections: the Our City (Citizen) Competition, the Children’s Competition, and the Sacrifice and Martyrdom Competition. Artists from across Iran are taking part.
Alongside the theatrical performances, the festival program includes educational workshops, exhibitions, children’s activities and other cultural events. Among the workshops are “Fundamentals of Naqqali: From Idea to Performance,” led by Masoud Nourifard, and “Theatre for the Development of Citizen Culture,” led by Ali Zafar-Ghahremannejad and Samaneh Jazebi.

Children’s programming is another major component. A mobile theatre program is scheduled to travel to villages and different areas of Lahijan County, accompanied by storytelling, traditional naqqali performances and other activities for young audiences.
Organizers have also announced a street-theatre photography competition and the presentation of commemorative plaques to participating artists and theatre groups.
The festival’s organizers have emphasized the importance of public participation in street theatre, where performances take place outside conventional theatre buildings and bring artists into direct contact with residents and visitors.
The 15th edition will conclude on Saturday, with a ceremony at Hazin Hall at Islamic Azad University, Lahijan Branch.