TEHRAN -- Iran has announced calls for submissions to three cultural events: the 42nd Fajr International Music Festival, the 21st Fajr International Poetry Festival, and the second Kheir Iran Photography Festival, with opportunities for musicians, poets, researchers and photographers.
The 42nd Fajr International Music Festival, directed by Arash Amini, will take place from February 1 to 7, 2027, with applications open until December 11, 2026.
According to the Iran Music Association, the festival will feature five sections: the main competition, orchestras and music groups from conservatories and universities, Fajr Music Video, Avaz-e Mihan (Voice of the Homeland), and a special section titled In Praise of Water.
The event aims to showcase outstanding Iranian musical works, support creative production, encourage young talent, enrich audiences’ musical appreciation and expand international artistic and cultural exchanges. Applications and submissions are available through the festival’s official website, fajrmusicfestival.com.
The 21st Fajr International Poetry Festival has also invited submissions, continuing an event established in 2006 to promote Persian poetry and strengthen cultural connections among Persian-speaking communities worldwide.
Its main competition covers three
 categories: adult poetry, including classical, modern and colloquial forms; children’s and young adult poetry; and poetry studies, encompassing academic research and criticism.
Eligible submissions must be original Persian-language poetry collections first published in Iran during 1404 (2025–2026), with authorization from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Joint collections and anthologies of previously published works are excluded.
The submission deadline is December 21, 2026, with winners scheduled to receive cash prizes, commemorative plaques and festival trophies at the closing ceremony in winter 2027.
Publishers, poets and researchers can register through fajr.ketab.ir and submit four copies of eligible publications to the festival secretariat at the House of Book and Literature of Iran in Tehran.
Meanwhile, the second Kheir Iran Photography Festival has opened submissions to photographers and visual artists interested in documenting philanthropy, solidarity and social responsibility across Iranian society.
The competition seeks images portraying kindness, assistance, volunteering, environmental protection, wildlife conservation, organ donation, disaster relief, water crisis management, social entrepreneurship, school construction and support for vulnerable communities.
Organizers emphasize that philanthropy extends beyond financial donations, encompassing broader efforts to improve people’s lives through solidarity, care and practical assistance.
The festival has two categories: single photographs and photographic series. Single submissions must be documentary photographs grounded in realism, while series may consist of five to 10 photographs from completed or ongoing projects, accompanied by an artist’s statement or proposal.
Ten projects will be selected for a three-month educational and photography grant program, providing participants with professional guidance and support before their completed projects undergo final judging.
Three outstanding single photographs will each receive 40 million tomans, while the selected photographic series will receive 80 million tomans. Three additional works will receive recognition from the philanthropic community, each carrying a 10-million-toman award.
Photographs must have been taken in Iran from 2021 onward. The deadline for initial photographic series submissions is December 21, 2026, while single photographs and completed projects selected for the grant program must be submitted by April 9, 2027.
An exhibition and awards ceremony are scheduled for May 2027. Registration and submission guidelines are available at festival.kheir.ir.