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Sumo to Stage Event in Paris as Part of Global Push

People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
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Sumo to Stage Event in Paris as Part of Global Push

People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)
People gather at the entrance of Ryogoku Kokugikan for the arrival of sumo wrestlers during the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on January 19, 2025. (AFP)

Sumo will stage a tournament in Paris for the first time in over three decades next year in a push to expand the ancient sport beyond Japan, organizers said Sunday.

Accor Arena, which hosted basketball and gymnastics events at last year's Paris Olympics, will stage a two-day competition featuring top wrestlers in the French capital in June 2026.

Japan Sumo Association (JSA) officials announced last month that they will also stage a tournament later this year at London's Royal Albert Hall -- the first overseas sumo competition in 20 years.

"It's important for us to show our sport to the world," JSA chairman Hakkaku told reporters at Tokyo's Kokugikan, where the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament is currently taking place.

"And for the wrestlers, they're the best in the world, they should be proud of that and see that they're admired all over the world."

Paris hosted sumo tournaments in 1986 and 1995 at the invitation of former French president Jacques Chirac, who was known to be a huge fan of the centuries-old sport.

Hakkaku, who competed at the 1986 Paris event, said he was "grateful for the long and deep relations between sumo and France".

"We feel renewed joy and great responsibility as we prepare for our third performance in Paris in 2026," he said.

"We are committed to fully sharing the charm of sumo... with the French people."

French organizers said they would pull out all the stops to recreate the atmosphere of a sumo tournament in Japan.

David Rothschild, promoter and executive producer for events organizers AEG, said the Paris tournament would be part of a "festival" celebrating Japanese culture.

"When you say the word sumo, everyone in France knows it represents traditional Japanese culture," he said.

"There was a time when it was shown on TV and there are people in France who are very knowledgeable about it," Rothschild added.

"But time flies and we want to introduce the beauty of sumo to a new generation."

Sumo has staged events in several countries around the world, including the Soviet Union, Mexico and the United States.

The last overseas tournament organized by the JSA was in Las Vegas in 2005.

Hakkaku, the JSA chairman, said the association's efforts to bring sumo to audiences abroad were meant to "introduce people to the traditional culture of Japan".

"We thought a lot about how to develop our sport after Covid and I think this was the best idea, but it was already in our plans before that," he said.

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Culture

Jeddah's Red Sea Museum Announces Ramadan Program 

The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
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Jeddah's Red Sea Museum Announces Ramadan Program 

The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)
The Red Sea Museum. (Red Sea Museum)

Jeddah's Red Sea Museum announced on Thursday a curated program of creative and cultural activities for the holy month of Ramadan, running from February 22 to March 14.

Led by local artists, artisans, and cultural practitioners, the museum's Ramadan program includes contemplative workshops, storytelling sessions, outdoor community gatherings, and musical performances that honor the spirit of reflection, creativity, and connection.

The series of engaging sessions creates space for visitors to explore traditional crafts, contemporary storytelling, and cultural heritage through hands-on experiences blending creativity and reflection.

Curated for families, artists, and visitors of all backgrounds, the program runs alongside "Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea," the museum's major temporary exhibition opening on February 25, which explores how archaeological discoveries reveal centuries of trade, navigation, and human connection across the Red Sea.

In celebration of Founding Day on February 22, the "Inspirational Threads: Makkah & Madinah" contemplative embroidery workshop invites participants to engage with archival black-and-white photographs of the Red Sea, Makkah, and Madinah. Through basic embroidery techniques, participants can embellish these images with Islamic geometric and symbolic motifs, adding layers of color, texture, and meaning while reflecting on devotion, memory, and connection.

The "Radiance in Pieces: Mosaic Lantern" hands-on workshop on February 24 explores the tradition of Islamic mosaic art through the creation of illuminated lanterns inspired by Red Sea heritage. Children and families will learn how small, colorful pieces come together to form meaningful geometric designs, blending creativity, cultural heritage, and reflection.

The opening evening of "Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea" on February 25 features a panel discussion with archaeologists, scientists, and historians exploring the maritime heritage of the Red Sea.

The "One Big Table - Ramadan Gathering" on March 5 brings everyone together in a shared space where families, friends, and neighbors celebrate the spirit of Ramadan.

On March 7, the "From Sand to Porcelain" painting workshop invites participants to paint calligraphy on fine porcelain using natural sand collected from Jeddah to add subtle texture and depth. While learning basic porcelain painting techniques, participants will engage in a reflective, hands-on experience that encourages mindful creation, resulting in a personal keepsake that embodies devotion, place, and the spirit of Ramadan.

In the spirit of International Women's Day on March 8, the "Ramadan Spirit: Thread & Needle" hands-on punch needling workshop explores Ramadan iconography through traditional symbols, including the crescent, star, and lantern. Participants will create textured textile pieces while learning basic punch needle techniques, celebrating both the holy month and the creative contributions of women to traditional textile arts.

On March 14, the "Spirit of Ramadan and the Tale of Jabir Al-Khawatir" storytelling session for children and families explores Ramadan as a season of compassion and healing, reminding people that the spirit of the holy month lives in small acts of care and human connection.

Culture

Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
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Saudi Arabia: Ship of Tolerance Initiative Promotes Cultural Dialogue in Jeddah

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA
The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan. SPA

The Saudi Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the "Lenobadir" volunteer and community partnership program and the Athr Foundation, has launched the Ship of Tolerance initiative in Historic Jeddah during Ramadan.

The initiative aims to enhance shared human values through arts, and promote tolerance and coexistence among children and families. It provides an educational and cultural experience aligned with the area’s unique character as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

As part of this global art project, children will create artworks that represent acceptance and dialogue.

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (Wrth) will offer traditional craft workshops throughout Ramadan, linking the initiative's values with local heritage and enriching visitors' connection to the region's identity.

This effort supports cultural programs with educational and social dimensions in Historic Jeddah, activating local sites for experiences that combine art, crafts, and community participation. It aligns with the National Strategy for Culture under Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on heritage preservation and expanding culture's impact on daily life.

Culture

Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Oscar Contender ‘Hamnet’ Boosts Tourism at Shakespeare Heritage Sites 

A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A view of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, William Shakespeare's childhood home, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Britain, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)

On a cloudy winter's day, visitors stream into what was once William Shakespeare's childhood home in Stratford-upon-Avon and the nearby Anne Hathaway's cottage, family residence of the bard's wife.

Hathaway's cottage is one of the settings for the BAFTA and Oscar best film contender "Hamnet", and the movie's success is drawing a new wave of tourists to Shakespeare sites in the town in central England.

Shakespeare's Birthplace is the house the young William once lived in and where his father worked as a glove maker, while Hathaway's cottage is where he would have visited his future wife early in their relationship.

Typically, around 250,000 visitors, from the UK, Europe, the United States, China and elsewhere, walk through the locations each year, according to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. ‌The charity looks after ‌Shakespeare heritage sites, which also include Shakespeare's New Place, the site of ‌the ⁠Stratford home where the ⁠bard died in 1616.

Visitors are flocking in this year thanks to "Hamnet", the film based on Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel, which gives a fictional account of the relationship between Shakespeare and Hathaway, also known as Agnes, and the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet in 1596.

"Visitor numbers have increased by about 15 to 20% across all sites since the film was released back in January. I think that will only continue as we go throughout the year," Richard Patterson, chief operating officer for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said.

"They particularly want ⁠to look (at) Anne Hathaway's cottage and the specifics around how the family ‌engaged in the spaces and the landscape in and around ‌the cottage... you can see why he would have been inspired."

NEW ACCESS TO SHAKESPEARE

"Hamnet" has 11 nominations at ‌Sunday's British BAFTA awards, including best film and leading actress for Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes. It ‌also has eight Oscar nominations, with Buckley seen as the frontrunner to win best actress.

"Hamnet" is set in Stratford-upon-Avon and London although it was not filmed in Stratford.

It sees Paul Mescal's young Shakespeare fall for Agnes while teaching Latin to pay off his father's debts. The drama, seen mainly through Agnes' eyes, focuses on their ‌life together and grief over Hamnet's death, leading Shakespeare to write "Hamlet".

"Shakespeare... is notoriously enigmatic. He writes about humanity, about feeling, about emotion, about conflict, ⁠but where do we understand ⁠who he is in that story?" said Charlotte Scott, a professor of Shakespeare studies and interim director of collections, learning and research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

"And that's driven people creative and otherwise for hundreds and hundreds of years. Where is Shakespeare's heart? And this is what the film I think has so beautifully opened up."

Little is known about how the couple met. Shakespeare was 18 and Hathaway 26 when they married in 1582. Daughter Susanna arrived in 1583 and twins Judith and Hamnet in 1585.

The film acknowledges the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable back then. While grief is a dominant theme, audiences also see Shakespeare in love and as a father.

"A lot of people will see this film not necessarily having... had any kind of relationship with Shakespeare," Scott said.

"So people will come to this film, I hope, and find a new way of accessing Shakespeare that is about creativity, that is about understanding storytelling as a constant process of regeneration, but also crucially, looking at it from that kind of emotive angle."