Let Her Sing® 2026: A Celebration of Female Voices
In 2026, Diaspora Arts Connection celebrates the 10th anniversary of Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices, its flagship programme honouring women vocalists and affirming the right of every woman to sing, create, and be heard.
For ten years, Let Her Sing® has worked at the intersection of arts and human rights, bringing together artists and audiences across cultures, languages, and generations. The programme creates a professional stage for women from diasporic and underrepresented communities, particularly those connected to parts of the world where women’s public voices continue to be censored, restricted, or suppressed.
This milestone year includes two concerts and a special San Francisco film programme. Let Her Sing® returns to the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA in San Francisco on Saturday, October 17, before making its first-ever San Diego appearance on Saturday, October 24 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, presented in collaboration with the Persian Cultural Center of San Diego.
The 2026 lineup features six extraordinary artists performing in both cities:
Mina Deris, Mehrnam Rastegari, Marjan Farsad, Gelareh Sheibani, Eilbret Dooman, and Roxana Sarrafi.
Together, they represent a wide range of musical and cultural traditions, from Persian classical and folk music to Arabic and Assyrian heritage, contemporary songwriting, visual storytelling, and cross-cultural experimentation.
Iranian-Canadian soprano, songwriter, and former Let Her Sing® artist Golrokh Aminian will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Both concerts will feature the Let Her Sing® house band under the direction of Music Director Yahya Alkhansa, with Navid Ghaem Maghami returning as Art Director.
As part of the 10th anniversary of Let Her Sing®: A Celebration of Female Voices, Diaspora Arts Connection & Farcinema present a special program of films at YBCA on Sunday, and October 11, 2026, exploring the lives of women who refuse to let censorship, social expectations, and restrictions on artistic expression silence their voices.
Together, Sonita, A Sister’s Tale, Unfinished Piece, and No Land’s Song offer powerful perspectives on women, music, and the fundamental right to be heard. Moving between Afghanistan, Iran, Europe, and the diaspora, these films show how singing can become an act of self-determination, resistance, cultural memory, and freedom.
Through music and film, Let Her Sing® 2026 celebrates the courage, artistry, cultural memory, and resilience carried by the female voice. Join us as we honour a decade of community and solidarity—and begin the next chapter of Let Her Sing®.
