Nowruz: Persian New Year at MFA Boston
| Venue: | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) |
| Dates: | Thursday, March 19, 2026 - Thursday, March 19, 2026 |
| Hours: | 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm |
| Ages: | Infants, Toddlers, Kids, Teens, Adults |
| In/Outdoor: | Indoor |
| Cost: | $ see below |
| Category: | Arts & Culture |
Join us to celebrate the ancient festival of Nowruz, which signals the beginning of spring! On Thursday, March 19, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), invites visitors to celebrate the ancient festival of Nowruz with performances, gallery tours, art-making activities, and more.
Observed by over 300 million people across the world, Nowruz is a beloved holiday that is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Part of the MFA’s $5 Third Thursdays, this celebration kicks off at 5 pm with $5 minimum, pay-what-you-wish general admission, available in-person until 10 pm. The full list of events and activities is available on mfa.org.
Event Highlights
- View a diverse range of traditional Nowruz table displays, a key element to Nowruz celebrations.
- Experience Nowruz as it is celebrated in Tajikistan, with a community art display and a hands-on art activity inspired by traditional Tajik fire rituals.
- Explore work by photographer Ablikim Emet capturing East Turkestan’s landscapes, traditions, and culture.
- Paint colorful wooden eggs with acrylic markers to welcome the spring equinox during drop-in art-making.
- Enjoy the rich traditions of Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Uyghur communities through lively music and dance, presented by the TurkicStan Center.
- Take a 30-minute tour exploring three objects in the MFA galleries that have connections to Nowruz celebrations around the world.
- See a live performance by students from local nonprofit Bagche bringing the Persian storytelling art of naqqāli to life.
- Experience the many cultures of Iran through a medley of Persian dance performed by Boston-based Aftab Dance Group, which is comprised of students and young professionals.
- Enjoy Turkmen bardic music and festive traditions, performances by Mohammad Geldi Geldi Nejad, known as “Oghlan Bakhshi.”
- Join Elizabeth Dospěl Williams, Penny Vinik Chair of Fashion, Textiles, and Jewelry, to explore the history of garden paradises in Persian carpets, with a focus on two examples featured in Framing Nature: Gardens and Imagination.
- Celebrate spring with a special musical performance by the Afghanistan Freeharmonic Orchestra.
Head to New American Café or Taste for snacks and other treats inspired by Nowruz.
Discover unique Nowruz traditions from around the world, revel in magnificent works of art, enjoy lively dance and music performances, and much more.
| COST | ↑ top |
$5 minimum, pay-what-you-wish general admission
| WEBSITE | ↑ top |
mfa.org/event/community-celebrations/nowruz?event=6047
| LOCATION | ↑ top |
465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA map
Phone: (617) 267-9300
| RELATED LINKS | ↑ top |
- Profiles
- Localities
Info changes frequently. We cannot warrant it. Verify with Nowruz: Persian New Year at MFA Boston before making the trek. If you find an error, please report it...
