Portland Event Guide · OMSI Kendall Planetarium
Circle of Light
The Love of Rumi & Shams
A 360° immersive dome journey into the mystical world of Persia's greatest poet
"A masterful piece of living art that must be experienced."
— Sol Guy, Former Creative Director, Tribeca Film Festival
There are experiences that ask you to sit quietly in the dark, and then there are experiences that reach inside and rearrange something. Circle of Light: The Love of Rumi & Shams belongs to the second kind. Rumi's verses have been translated, printed, posted and quoted for eight centuries — yet something irreplaceable is always lost in the transition from voice to page. This is the antidote. Staged inside the soaring dome of OMSI's Harry C. Kendall Planetarium in Portland, Oregon, the show restores Rumi's poetry to its native home: the living, breathing, resonant medium of song — sung, as it was always meant to be heard, in Persian.
Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.
— Jalal ad-Din Rumi (13th century)
If you have been wondering whether this show is worth your evening, the short answer is yes — and this guide will tell you exactly why, what to expect, and how to make the most of your visit.
Overview
What Is the Circle of Light Experience?
Circle of Light is an immersive 360° dome experience that ushers you into the mystical world of the Persian Sufi poet Rumi, featuring the voice of the most renowned living Iranian vocalist, Shahram Nazeri, performed in Rumi's original language. The result is something that sits at the intersection of spiritual concert, visual opera, and sacred architecture — categories that don't quite capture it, which is rather the point.
A dome show is an immersive experience where visuals are projected onto a large, curved dome surface, surrounding the audience. Think of the night sky in a planetarium, but instead of constellations you are enveloped in the geometry of Persian mosques, the calligraphic swirl of Sufi symbolism, and animated landscapes that pulse in time with Rumi's verses. The experience opens with a short English prologue and spoken recitation of Rumi's poetry. English subtitles appear throughout the show, translating each poem at key moments, and a printed program provides full English translations of the texts performed.
Sound
Original Surround Score
Musical virtuoso Loga Ramin Torkian composed an original surround sound score specifically for the dome format — layering traditional Persian instruments with a contemporary sonic architecture that wraps around every seat in the room.
Visuals
Full-Field 4K Projection
A ground-breaking visual journey through living Persian architecture and ancient realms of mystical symbolism — rendered in full-field 4K colour across a 52-foot domed screen, presenting what critics have called a breathtaking opera of Persian love poetry.
Vision
Four Years in the Making
Produced and directed by Spherical Pictures founder Amir Aziz over four years, this experience is a labor of love; it is an invitation to enter the ancient realm of mystical Persia and the profound mysteries of Rumi's lyrical wisdom.
Voice
Maestro Shahram Nazeri
The legendary Ostad — Master — of Persian classical music. A voice honoured by the United Nations, UCLA, Harvard, and the United States Congress. The definitive interpreter of Rumi.
The Artist
Maestro Shahram Nazeri — The Voice That Belongs to Rumi
To understand why Circle of Light carries the weight it does, you need to know who is singing. Shahram Nazeri is a prominent icon of Persian classical, Kurdish folklore and Sufi music. He was the first vocalist to set Rumi's poetry to Persian music, thus establishing a tradition of Sufi music within both Persian classical music and Kurdish music — and his music was instrumental in introducing Western musical audiences to both Sufism and to the poetry of Rumi.
The New York Times has dubbed him the "Persian Nightingale" and the Christian Science Monitor has called him "Iran's Pavarotti." These are remarkable labels for a man who deliberately avoided the Western operatic canon, choosing instead to remain in the soil of Iranian classical tradition — a tradition that demands lifelong apprenticeship.
His honours span continents: the United Nations has honored Nazeri with a recognition award for his legendary contribution to the revival of Iranian Classical Music. UCLA has honored him with the Living Legend Award. He has been invited to perform and lecture at Stanford University, Columbia University, UC Berkeley, and Harvard University, where he was recognized for his pioneering efforts in introducing Rumi to the West.
His striking tenor voice portrays the range of emotions in Sufi poetry as almost no one else can.
— Roji Kurd, on Shahram Nazeri
Master Nazeri has released over forty recordings to date. His Gol'eh Sad Barg recording has held the record for the highest selling album of Persian classical music and Sufi music in history. When a voice like this meets the acoustics of a 52-foot dome, the outcome is not entertainment. It is transmission.
The Ensemble
A World-Class Musical Gathering
Beyond Nazeri's voice, the score draws on a constellation of musicians whose individual careers span classical Persian music, global folk traditions, and contemporary composition. Featuring musical performances by Azam Ali, Hamed Nikpay, Pejman Hadadi, Sinan Cem Eroglu, Mammad Mohsen Zadeh, Leah Metzler, and Kiara Ana Perico. Composer Loga Ramin Torkian weaves their contributions into a seamless surround-sound fabric that takes full advantage of the dome's spatial audio system.
- Loga Ramin Torkian — composer
- Azam Ali
- Hamed Nikpay
- Pejman Hadadi
- Sinan Cem Eroglu
- Mammad Mohsen Zadeh
- Leah Metzler
- Kiara Ana Perico
The poetry is sung primarily in Persian (Farsi), the language Rumi chose and the language in which the verses carry their full sonic and spiritual weight. Circle of Light is primarily sung in Persian, in keeping with the original language of Rumi's poetry. As with Italian opera, the emotional and spiritual power of the work transcends literal translation. The poetry is experienced through voice, music, and animation rather than narration.
The Venue
OMSI Kendall Planetarium, Portland
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has been a cornerstone of Portland's cultural life for decades. OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214. For Circle of Light, the experience takes place inside the Harry C. Kendall Planetarium — a 200-seat, 52-foot domed theater, one of the most technologically advanced planetariums in the Pacific Northwest.
The dome format is not incidental to the work; it is part of the work. Every seat sits beneath the full-field projection surface, which means there is no bad seat, no peripheral angle, no edge of the frame. You are inside the image. The sound system distributes Torkian's score spatially around you, and the architecture of the planetarium functions as a secular temple for the duration of the 42-minute experience.
Schedule
Showtimes & How to Book
The show runs on multiple dates across Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. The entire experience will take up around an hour of your evening, including a brief introduction before the 42-minute feature.
| Day | Showtimes (PST) |
|---|---|
| Friday & Saturday | 7:00 PM · 8:15 PM · 9:30 PM |
| Sunday | 6:00 PM · 7:15 PM · 8:30 PM |
Tickets are available directly through the official box office. Book early — dome shows with limited seating sell out fast, and there is no late entry once the show begins.
Practical Guide
Before You Go — Visitor Tips
Arrive Early
The planetarium has a policy of no late entries once the show has begun. Please make plans to arrive at least 15 minutes early to ensure there is enough time to have everyone seated and ready to enjoy the journey. Coming early also gives you a chance to orient yourself in the dome and choose a position you find comfortable — reclining seats with a view of the full ceiling are standard in planetarium seating.
Leave Your Phone in Your Pocket
For the best experience for all attendees, photography and video recording are not allowed during the show. This is one of those rare cases where the policy actually benefits you — without the instinct to document, you are free to simply be present in the experience. The 360° projection requires your full attention to absorb.
Don't Worry If Your Persian Is Nonexistent
The decision to keep the poetry in its original language is a deliberate artistic choice, and it works. As with Italian opera, the emotional and spiritual power of the work transcends literal translation. English subtitles appear throughout the show, translating each poem at key moments, and a printed program provides full English translations of the texts performed. Many attendees report that hearing the Persian before reading the translation is itself part of the experience — you feel the sound before you understand the meaning.
Accessibility
The Kendall Planetarium has wheelchair accessible entrance and nearby ADA accessible restrooms. Reserved seating is available for those with special needs — check in with an OMSI staff member for assistance.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What language is the show in?
The show is performed primarily in Persian (Farsi) — the original language of Rumi's poetry. It opens with a short English prologue and English subtitles appear throughout, translating each poem at key moments. A printed programme with full English translations is also provided.
What exactly is a dome show?
A dome show projects visuals onto a large curved dome surface that surrounds the entire audience. Unlike a cinema where you look at a flat screen ahead of you, in a dome the image wraps 360° overhead and around the periphery of your vision. There is no "back row" — every seat offers a complete view.
How long does the show run?
The feature runs 42 minutes. Including the introduction, plan for approximately one hour from doors opening to the end of the experience.
Can I take photos or record video?
No photography or video recording is permitted during the show. This policy protects the experience for all audience members and is strictly observed.
What if I arrive late?
Late entry is not permitted once the show begins. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your selected showtime to guarantee your seat and fully enjoy the introduction.
Is there assigned seating?
Seating is first-come, first-served for general admission. Reserved seating is available for guests with special accessibility needs — speak to an OMSI staff member upon arrival.
Where do I park?
Parking is available on-site at OMSI at a special reduced flat rate for evening events. Visitors can pay through the Parking Kitty app or at kiosks in the North and South parking lots.
Who can I contact for more information?
Visit the official show page at sphericalpictures.com/circleoflight/portland or the OMSI event page at omsi.edu/events/circle-of-light.
Final Thoughts
Why This Show Is Worth Your Evening
Portland has no shortage of things to do on a Friday night. So let's be honest about what makes Circle of Light different from a gallery opening or a concert: it asks you to stop. To sit in the dark beneath a 52-foot dome and let a 13th-century poet speak through one of the greatest living voices in Persian music, surrounded by visual art that took four years to realise. For 42 minutes, nothing else is required of you.
Rumi's central theme — that love is not a destination but a constant returning, that every wanderer is still welcome — translates across every cultural and linguistic distance. You do not need to know Sufism. You do not need to know Persian. You need only to show up.
This is the kind of event that people describe in the parking lot afterwards with slightly stunned expressions, reaching for words that are not quite enough. That is probably the highest recommendation any experience can receive.
Absolutely breathtaking.
— Audience review
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© 2026 Spherical Pictures @CONNECT · All rights reserved. Event information subject to change; verify showtimes at the official box office before visiting.
