JEDDAH: The Royal Commission for the Governorate of Al-Ula on Thursday launched the Winter at Tantora cultural festival in the presence of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Minister of Culture. During a series of themed weekend events, festival visitors will be able to experience a range of activities including a celebration of the winter planting season and weekly cultural events. The new Maraya platform, which was built as the festivals main center, was opened during the opening ceremony. The platform will host eight international artists, including Mohamed Abdo, Andrea Bocelli and a virtual performance by Um Kulthum, over the course of seven weeks in the winter. Winter at Tantora features other experiences such as, a souq featuring local crafts, a sculpture trail of temporary art installations, and pop-up restaurants and food trucks. Also, several excursions were planned for visitors to see the most that Al-Ula has to offer. The festival will continue until the Feb. 9, and includes several activities inspired by the heritage of Al-Ula, which is considered a main archeological site in the north of the Arabian Peninsula and the meeting point of many past civilizations.