Campus cultural groups will showcase their talents and honor their cultures 7 p.m. Friday at the 40th annual Eve of Nations in Lloyd Noble Center.

Hosted by OU’s International Advisory Committee, the celebration will feature performances from 15 cultural groups, as well as a fashion show and a dinner before the show.

“It’s a big deal, and these organizations take it seriously,” said Melissa Mock, international and area studies sophomore.

Mock, committee executive member, is head of the Eve of Nations production’s committee. Mock said attendees can expect to see dances ranging from Chinese Tai Chi to belly dancing and Salsa. This year’s celebration will differ from previous years in that three “satellite,” or mini stages, will be used throughout different group performances, she said.

The ceremony’s opening will feature multiple dances and an alumni video looking back on the ceremony in previous years.

Mimo Adenuga, International Advisory Committee president, said the ceremony’s opening would stun the audience.

“The opening is a surprise really, so I can’t really talk about details, but expect it to be an awesome opening — one that will be jaw-dropping for sure,” said Adenuga, mechanical engineering senior.

Adenuga said the three judges also remain a secret to performers until the night of the event. He said the committee exec chooses professors from departments like geography or dance as well as a representative from Student Life as a judge.

Execs also choose the event’s menu, which is prepared by Housing and Food Services. Adenuga said each dish will represent one region of the world including Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

“We ensured that the menu does cut across all the various regions, so we can be as diverse as possible,” Adenuga said.

Lilian Al-Dehneh, Arab Student Association president, said her organization will incorporate Lady Gaga into its traditional belly-dancing performance.

“We wanted to do something totally different, which was to incorporate an English song to our dances,” said Al-Dehneh, political science senior. “We thought that would be the best way to do it: to bring one of the most popular singers at the moment in one [routine] that has a lot of different moves.”

Al-Dehneh said the association’s performers have been practicing their routine every other night for the past month, and increased their practices to every night during the two weeks prior to the event. She said Eve of Nations is a great way to unite everybody and represent their cultures.

“Some people are never exposed to this type of culture, so it’s good to experience everybody’s different view,” Al-Dehneh said.

The top three performances will receive plaques and cash prizes of $250, $150 and $100, respectively, Mock said.

Al-Dehneh said overall, the competition among the groups is not important.

“Honestly there’s only one award,” Al-Dehneh said. “It’s nice to be placed in the top three, but the reason for Eve of Nations is to get our cultures out there and represent our countries in a positive light. It’s not as much a competition as it is a performance to show our tradition.”

Tickets for the 40th Annual Eve of Nations are $7 at the door. Student dinner tickets are $15 and include entry into the show.