MENA Cultural Festival and Concert Event Set to Light Up the OC Fairgrounds

The three-day celebration runs June 19–21, featuring international headliners, 200-plus vendors, and World Cup watch parties.

Singers Dystinct, left, and Mohammed Assaf are among the musical acts performing at the 2026 OC MENA Festival. Photos courtesy of OC MENA Festival

Orange County is home to a vibrant Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) diaspora of more than 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This weekend, that community is stepping into the spotlight with a massive three-day cultural celebration at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The OC MENA Festival will be from June 19 to 21, featuring different activities across the fairgrounds and concerts at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Organizers expect to draw roughly 30,000 attendees over the weekend.

Suzan Kesbeh, a member of the festival’s event relations team, said the group has been working around the clock to prepare for this event, which has an estimated 30,000 attendees for the weekend. 

Singer Tul8te, who will perform Saturday night, covers his face in a signature white crocheted mask in order to maintain some anonymity and to keep the focus of his performances on his music. Photo courtesy of OC MENA Festival

The festival’s entertainment lineup features heavy-hitting international headliners, including Moroccan singer Dystinct, Egyptian artist Tul8te, and Palestinian singer and “Arab Idol” winner Mohammed Assaf. In addition to other performers of MENA descent, there will also be over 200 vendors selling food, clothing and art, carnival rides, camel rides and a 21 and up hookah lounge. Soccer fans can catch World Cup games live, including Morocco vs. Scotland on Friday, Tunisia vs. Japan on Saturday, and on Sunday there are three matches: Saudi Arabia vs. Spain, Iran vs. Belgium and Egypt vs. New Zealand.

“I’m most excited for people to see all the small decor that we’ve been putting together. There are a lot of small details that went into each and every section from the entrance to the hookah lounge, and we hope people notice and appreciate every little piece,” Kesbeh said. 

The festival’s food and drink lineup will showcase a spread of regional dishes, sweets and street foods representing the distinct flavors of a variety of Middle Eastern and North African countries. 

Kesbeh noted that the organizers wanted to make sure there was a diverse food court and bazaar without too many vendors in the same categories.

“Representing the MENA community in 2026 means being proud of my culture and helping others learn about the diversity and traditions that make our community unique,” Kesbeh said. “It’s an opportunity to bring people together and celebrate our shared heritage, and I’m so happy to be a part of it.” 

OC MENA Festival

When: 11 a.m. to midnight, June 19-21 

Where: OC Fairgrounds and Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: General admission tickets are $20 for a single day, $30 for a two-day pass, and $40 for the full three days. Separate tickets for the Pacific Amphitheatre concerts start at $29 and include same-day access to the rest of the festival grounds.

Information: Visit ocmenafestival.com or the fest’s Instagram @ocmenafestival 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Friday, June 19 Festival Stage: Anees, Lana Lubany and Ehab Tawfik  Indoor Stage: Nasser Al-Rayess and Saad Alessa (comedians) 

Saturday, June 20 Festival Stage: Gaidaa and MC Abdul Pacific Amphitheatre: Dystinct, Bayou and Tul8te. DJ appearance by Art Beatz

Sunday, June 21 Festival Stage: Norhan and Keemokazi and Family Indoor Stage: Ana Kasparian and Hamza Saadah (meet and greet) Pacific Amphitheatre: Mohammed Assaf, Dana Salah and Issam Alnajjar. DJ appearance by Nemo