Yerevan officials tease “new format” Vardavar celebrations

City authorities in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, announced on Monday that this year’s Vardavar celebrations in July—the traditional festival during which people drench each other with water—will be held in a "new format" and will feature a concert and entertainment program with well-known artists and international DJs.

This year, Vardavar will be celebrated on July 12.

Yerevan Deputy Mayor Levon Hovhannisyan said at a press conference that a concert would take place at Republic Square.

“A concert program featuring well-known artists and international DJs is expected at Republic Square. This holiday is a beloved one and, one way or another, is celebrated quite actively in our country; however, this year we will celebrate it in Yerevan in a new format. I believe there will be a significant influx of tourists, and it will become one of our calling cards, with a new level of quality,” Hovhannisyan said.

The event will begin at 12:00 p.m. In addition to the concert program, there will be water activity zones and various competitions. Separate water zones will be available for children so that they can spend their time in a safer environment. There will also be mobile food vendors.

“On that day, we will not prohibit or restrict anything anywhere. It’s just that the celebration at Republic Square will be larger in scale. We can assure you that there will be more water, more soaked participants, and an exciting program designed for people to have a great time,” the deputy mayor concluded.