Exclusive information obtained by The New Arab confirms that Syrian singer Assala Nasri will hold a concert in Damascus at a festival on 17-19 September.
Sources said she has agreed to return and hold concerts, pending the announcement of the visit programme and details.
Assala's return to Damascus carries particular significance given her political stance during the years of the Syrian revolution in which she declared her support for the opposition from its outset and attacked Bashar al-Assad's regime.
In the first months of the revolution, Assala wrote, "We must revolt, we must rise for ourselves, and if the self becomes insignificant to the whole world, it must not become insignificant to us."
Her support for the revolution led to her being removed from the Artists Syndicate.
The syndicate's former head, Zuhair Ramadan, said she "is not a member of the Syrian Artists Syndicate" and that she was practising her artistic work through a work permit, along with several other artists.
The possible return to Damascus comes as Assala strengthens her artistic presence connected to Syria.
A week ago, Rotana music channel released her new song "Al-Assala", arranged by Fouad Junaid, in a collaboration that brings the singer back to the company that handles some of her concerts.
Assala is also preparing to release a full album in the Syrian dialect, featuring 14 songs inspired by Syrian folklore, to celebrate the cultural identity of her homeland.
She has also sought to extend this approach to the visual aspect, appearing in the album's music videos in outfits inspired by the traditional clothing of several Syrian provinces.
The album is scheduled for release after the end of her current tour, which began in Tunisia and Jordan, with expectations that its release will coincide with, or come around the same time as, her return to Damascus and her reunion with her audience.
Her possible return comes as part of a new phase in which the singer is seeking to reconnect her artistic work with her Syrian roots, whether through music, visual presentation or appearing directly before audiences in Damascus.
Assala's latest album is "Dareebat al-Buad", released in summer 2025. It featured 10 diverse songs that achieved notable success.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.