Like a great big engine tuned up and raring to go, the second edition of the World Culture Festival (WCF) started with a roar on October 31. This edition brings over 1,100 artists and technicians from 142 countries to the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi (ACPK).

As far as cultural events go, this is it — a celebration of the arts with unmatched scale and ambition. There are painting exhibitions, dance and acting workshops, talks, film screenings, theatre performances and concerts. And in case you’re wondering what happens and when, it’s best to consult the ACPK’s website, because the schedule provided to the media runs over six pages, in a font so small it could double as fine print!

The WCF will run daily until December 7, from midday into the night. From what Icon has learned so far, what one looks forward to the most may disappoint, and what one doesn’t expect to wow will be mind-blowing (as you’ll read below).

Most events are free, although a few — such as concerts and workshops — may cost up to Rs 1,500.

For the past six months, if not more, Ahmed Shah — president of the ACPK and the perennial man-with-a-plan (whom Icon interviewed in July) — has been fine-tuning this mother-of-all events with the kind of immaculate obsession usually reserved for clockmakers and mad scientists.

No matter how hard anyone tries — and why would one try in the first place — it is impossible to write about the WCF without mentioning Shah. From greeting dignitaries at the gates, charting schedules, managing the placement of posters, mingling with and directing volunteers, to addressing every journalist — no matter how obscure their publication — by name, Shah is the perfect host and admin of the event.

The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is hosting the 2nd edition of the World Culture Festival — showcasing music, theatre, dance, films, artworks, talks and workshops. With more than 1,000 foreign participants and stretching over 39 days, the event is truly unmatched in scale and ambition…

Micromanaging every aspect of the WCF — including shushing the audience and asking them, with a mix of politeness and sternness, to play by the rules of theatre by not storming the stage