Smilansky Festival returns – your guide to everything you must do in the capital of the Negev

This week Beersheba’s Old City will host the Smilansky Festival, celebrating two decades of art and creativity with a rich lineup of performances and events spread across three evenings.

The end-of-summer festival will take place on August 26–28 and will feature dozens of live shows, DJ sets, dance, art, a creators’ market, food and alcohol areas, and activities for all ages across nine complexes along Smilansky Street and throughout the Old City.

Among the participating artists: Netta Barzilai, Margol, Atar Mayner, Aviv Geffen, Yemen Blues, Shazamat hosting Yeled, Tomer Yeshayahu, Yogev Glusman Balulu, Abraham Legesse, Matata Hashmad, Blue Band (reunion show), Lil Koko, and many more creators and performers.

KKL Pedestrian Street, also known as the “20-Meter Street,” is the beating heart of Beersheba’s culinary scene. Here you’ll find legendary institutions that make every visit a nostalgic experience: Kabab Emuna, recognized nationwide; the Green Falafel, operating for decades; and Livia Restaurant with its famous challah schnitzel.

But the Old City has much more to offer beyond the classics. Château d’Or shifts the focus to wine, with a seasonal tapas menu that adapts throughout the year. Not far away, Bucuria invites you on a journey to old Romania – the spiritual heir of the legendary “Sami and Susu,” which gave Beersheba its authentic Romanian flavor.

For beer lovers, Gilad Naaman’s Beer House is almost sacred. With over 300 beers from around the world and rotating craft beers on tap, it has become a pilgrimage site for beer enthusiasts across the country. Naaman, who also owns his own beer brand “Chalutz Hadash,” set up shop in a historic building on Halutz Street, combining tradition with innovation.

The city’s bohemian atmosphere shines through in places like Meshek – a “small neighborhood kitchen” by musician Itay Perl, specializing in Israeli wines alongside vegetarian chef dishes. Or ChaCha Bar, which brings a taste of Georgia with traditional stone-oven pastries and the authentic atmosphere of a rustic cottage.

Accommodation in Beersheba has become an experience in itself. Anilevich Mansion proves that history and luxury can go hand in hand – the boutique hotel, in a 1930s Arab building, offers 19 rooms and suites with a spa area and heated pools. The site has undergone meticulous preservation, blending original architecture with modern comfort.

La Riad Mimi is Israel’s first attempt to create an authentic Moroccan-style guesthouse. Designed down to the smallest detail, it offers an exclusive experience unlike anything else in the country. Guests are invited “to feel nothing less than royalty.”

For those coming specifically for the festival, La Finca on Smilansky Street offers the ideal location – right at the heart of the event, with a view of a charming courtyard featuring hammocks and a jacuzzi.