Vaak Festival: a showcase of Persian-language music, film and fashion
To mark the its fifth anniversary, Vaak Records is bringing an array of Iranian and Afghan artists to London
Since its launch in 2020, London-based Vaak Records has dedicated itself to sharing the work of Persian-language artists around the world. To celebrate its fifth anniversary the collective is partnering with the east London venue Rich Mix to host its first festival from 31 October to 2 November.
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The three-day event will showcase music, fashion and cinema from Iran, Afghanistan and their diasporas. Vaak’s founder Hesam Garshasbi says: “This festival is more than an event. It’s a bridge between diasporic and local communities, and a platform for creativity, resilience and cultural exchange… We are showing the world our richness, courage and the ingenuity of a new generation.”
While Garshasbi laid the initial groundwork for Vaak Records as a music label, the remit has gradually expanded. Now, the organisation is collaboratively run by a small team, including creative director for film and cinema Hossain Hejrat and fashion curator and creative director Mahoo Ashouri.
Ashouri shares the excitement about the festival and sees it as a vital way to keep members of the Persian-speaking diaspora connected to their culture.
“There are so many people from Iran in the UK who cannot go back there,” Ashouri says. “They’re missing out on lots of things and they don’t have the chance to see what is happening with young people back home. It’s about closing the gap and creating a closer connection between people who are here and there.”
The event’s musical highlights include performances by the Hazara Afghan singer Elaha Soroor on 2 November and the award-winning musician and composer Bamdad Afshar and the Otagh Band on 31 October.
“My practice connects sound, technology and theatre, bringing together musicians, machines and visual storytelling,” says Afshar, whose work has featured in numerous Iranian film and TV productions. “I often use elements from Iranian culture and folklore within contemporary and digital forms, trying to create a bridge between tradition and the rapidly changing future.”
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Iranian fashion will also form an integral part of the festival. On 2 November, Tehran-based design duo Zargh-o-Vargh will present their latest collection, Draped in the Wind, and host a workshop exploring the power of self-directed creative work.
“Each of our pieces becomes a form of self-expression, a way for us to communicate feelings and identity through fabric, shape and movement,” says Laila Pourshaban, one half of the team. “When it grows from a place of creativity and emotion, it stops feeling like a job and becomes a way of living.”
Artists in Iran face heavy censorship and the risk of imprisonment if their work offends the country’s conservative regime: Ashouri says: “I have friends who are designers and others who are working in the film industry that have had the government break into their house and threaten them.”
Those restrictions have been felt by the festival organisers, with only two out of 12 Iranian artists originally booked to attend the festival having received visas to leave the country. One of those still waiting is director Saeed Roustaee. His feature film Woman and Child was included in the Cannes Festival Official Selection for 2025 and will be screened at the festival on 1 November.
“The amount of courage and the passion these artists have is really amazing to see,” says Ashouri. “For me, the most important part of the festival is providing a platform for talented people who don’t have the opportunity to express themselves.”
Vaak Festival will take place from 31 October to 2 November at the Rich Mix. To buy tickets, visit the Rich Mix website.
