Welcome, spring: LA celebrates the Iranian New Year

7 hours ago

Horns roared, vibrantly-dressed performers twirled, and drummers stunned audiences. All of this and more were part of a lively celebration of Nowruz — the Iranian New Year — held at UCLA.

Hundreds attended a daylong family festival on Sunday, March 9, the 15th annual celebration of Nowruz in Los Angeles, organizers said. The event is one of the largest Nowruz events in the world — organized by the Farhang Foundation, which was established in 2008 to celebrate and uplift Iranian art and culture.

The Iranian New Year begins at the moment of spring’s arrival, expected this year around March 20, organizers said.

LA Daf Ensemble performs during a celebration of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year festivities marking the beginning of spring, at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Sunday, March 9, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)

1 of 23

Why pruning and planting are what you should be doing in the garden right now

Expand

Nowruz, which marks the vernal equinox and means “new day” in Farsi, is celebrated around the world by millions, including in Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, the U.S. and Canada. Organizers called it a “universal moment of rebirth and renewal,” a cultural welcoming of spring.

“Nowruz embodies the universal values of harmony, hope, and new beginnings,” said Alireza Ardekani, executive director of the Farhang Foundation, before the event.

The free festival has been held at UCLA since 2017 as a way to unite diverse communities in “a joyous tribute to renewal, culture and tradition,” Ardekani said. Last year, around 25,000 people attended the festival.

The event at UCLA’s Dickson Court showcased stilt walkers, traditional Iranian music and performances, children’s activities, a tea house, and the signature Grand Haft Sîn display — an elaborate centerpiece of the Nowruz festivities — with florals, food, candles and other symbols of the Iranian New Year.

“We focus on having activities geared towards families because we want first, second, third and fourth generation Iranian Americans to bring their loved ones to learn about their culture and to be proud of their roots,” Ardekani said.

Over 600 street banners designed by Australian artist Rashid Rahnama lined the streets of L.A. leading up to the festival, sharing the spirit of Nowruz.

Performances included a performance from Iranian-born singer-songwriter Kamyar, plus traditional regional dances of Iran and Central Asia. An all-female ensemble directed by Arezoo Koochakan brought a daf — a large, Middle Eastern frame drum — to the campus to perform folk and original songs.

Super Bowl: Eagles vs. Chiefs features some of the brightest and oldest minds

Later that evening, a Nowruz concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall featured Iranian classical singer Mahdieh Mohammadkhani in her first U.S. performance in over a decade. The singer’s passport was confiscated in 2022 after her outspoken support for women’s rights — and against segregation — during forced hijab law, Ardekani said.

The concert was supported by the Iranshahr Orchestra — a 30-piece nonprofit dedicated to promoting and preserving Iranian music — directed by Shahab Paranj, who oversees the Iranian music program at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music and the recently established Gramian-Emrani Center for Iranian Music.

The Farhang Foundation helped UCLA establish an educational degree in Iranian music in 2018. The school is one of the only programs of its kind outside of Iran, Ardekani said.

Another community Nowruz celebration is planned this weekend at the L.A. Central Library.

The free event is set for Sunday, March 16 at 1:15 p.m. at the Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles. The festival features a folk dance ensemble, English and Farsi talks from local authors, Nowruz games and crafts, Persian reptiles and more.

Information: lapl.org/whats-on/events/nowruz-festival