If you were looking for the best jazz and classical music, or the newest independent movies showing in the Middle East, Eilat might not be the first place you looked. But all that is about to change if the City of Eilat, the Ministries of Culture and Tourism and the Eilat Hotel Association have their way.

Since the earliest days of modern Israel, the southernmost desert city of Eilat has been associated with swimming and sunbathing, water sports, desert adventures, and nightlife. Ten years from now, however, visionaries and urban planners expect Eilat to be Israel’s cultural mecca…perhaps the entire Middle East. The idea is that visitors can spend their days at sea and their afternoons enjoying the varied cultural offer of the city.

While there have always been some residents in the south, Eilat was established in 1949. At the time, the area was largely unpopulated and inaccessible by road. During the War of Independence two Israeli brigades broke through and opened the way. In doing so, they also opened a window of opportunity.

The city developed steadily over the years. In 1975 the first international charter flights from Europe began and tourism really took off. Today, Eilat is a popular destination for visitors from France, England, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Russia, as well as from Canada and the United States.

According to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism, last year Eilat welcomed approximately 50,000 foreign visitors and with the City’s focus on culture, those numbers are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

Local residents are also excited about their city’s changing personality because the more new events are created, the more job opportunities arise.

Culture in Eilat

If you’re looking for culture, there are now a number of different events to choose from in Eilat, depending on the time of year.

The Red Sea Jazz Festival. Eilat hosted its first annual international jazz festival in 1987 and since then has increasingly attracted legendary and award-winning artists from around the world. Randy Brecker…Michail Alperin Trio…Blood Sweat & Tears…The Fringe…Spyro Gyra…Chick Corea & Origin…Diana Krall…Manhattan Transfer…The Mingus Big Band. .. Dianne Reeves… Zap Mama… and nearly a hundred other big names in jazz have come to Eilat to perform to a growing audience of jazz fans.

This is a true music festival, with varied programs ranging from modern to traditional jazz, salsa and world music, all performed by leading bands and international stars. Even the Israeli program and artists are rich and diverse. Ten local groups performed at last year’s festival, which took place in late August. For seven of these groups, representing the recent success of Israeli jazz, it was their first performance at the festival.

A special benefit for festival goers are jazz masterclasses led by internationally renowned jazz musicians that offer music students an excellent one-on-one opportunity to meet, learn from, and practice with artists.

The festival is now frequently referred to as the premier jazz event in the Middle East. Last year, the four-day festival drew approximately 50,000 people and featured more than 30 concerts.

The International Film Festival. Now entering its fourth year, this four-day festival in late May will screen nearly 50 feature films from around the world to an enthusiastic audience of industry insiders, film fans, local residents, students and soldiers. Festival organizers say the more than 5,000 people who come to participate in the festival will see films from Israel, Japan, China, Turkey, Greece, Italy, the United States and more.

This year the festival screens the children’s film “Over the Hedge,” a new film from the makers of “Shrek,” which has its world premiere at Cannes in early May. Another new movie, “Flight 93,” tells the story of the third plane, the one that crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania, that was hijacked in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Adam Greenberg, director of photography for such well-known films as “Dave” and “The Terminator,” will be on hand to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. A series of 44 short films about European football will also be screened on the beach in preparation for this year’s World Cup in Germany.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Best Foreign Film, Best Israeli Film and Best Children’s Film, which will be judged by a panel of young judges from the city.

Chamber Music Festival. This new international festival, which took place in different venues around the city last February, is off to a strong start according to critics. Performances by iPalpiti Orchestra, YAI – Young International Artists, Ida Handel, Concerto Köln, Evgeni Koroliov, Aviv Quartet and Jerusalem Trio were well received and planning is about to start for next year’s event.

Red Sea Classic Festival. This three-day festival held in December has been described as “a myriad of musical opulence” with its spectacular guest orchestras, singers and musicians, some of the brightest talent from around the world. Last year, Valery Gergiev, artistic director and director of the Kirov Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersberg, Russia, entertained audiences of 2,000 each night with his group of 280 musicians. The Mariinsky, one of the most famous opera companies in the world, is the only Russian cultural institution that survived and flourished after the fall of the Soviet Union. As a result, Gergiev is considered a national hero.

The classical festival was first held in 1993. It was organized by the City Tourism Office and “Shira”, an international cultural society. Plans are already underway for next year’s festival, which will take place in late December and early January. Plans for 2006 include holding a one night performance in Aqaba, Jordan.

The International Underwater Photography Contest. Imagine photographing some of the most beautiful marine species in the world. The Underwater Photography Contest attracts many famous international divers and photographers, not only because of the beauty of the Red Sea, but also because of the $25,000 prize pool for the first place winner. The contest is open to both amateurs and professionals, shooting with film or digital cameras. There are two competitive categories: “Images from Around the World”, in which submissions are submitted in advance from elsewhere, and the on-site “Eilat Shoot-Out”. All entries are judged by an international panel.

This year, internationally renowned and award-winning photographer and explorer Amos Nachoum will be the guest of honor and master of ceremonies at the April event.

While most visitors would agree this is a pretty comprehensive list for any destination, tourism officials say several new events are being planned for the near future. Eilat is clearly a city on the move, and according to tourism officials, these festivals represent just a few of the ways that Eilat is becoming part of the global cultural community.