Events
Festivals, showcases, and concerts across Morocco where Gnawa features prominently. Cross-genre fusion festivals are listed when Gnawa programming is meaningful, marked accordingly.
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Dates pending: L'Boulevard, Dakhla Festival, Festival Gnaoua — 2025, Festival Gnaoua — 2024, Festival Gnaoua — 2023, Festival Gnaoua — 2022, Festival Gnaoua — 2019, Festival Gnaoua — 2018, Festival Gnaoua — 2017, Festival Gnaoua — 2016, Festival Gnaoua — 2015, Festival Gnaoua — 2014, Festival Gnaoua — 2013, Festival Gnaoua — 2012, Festival Gnaoua — 2011, Festival Gnaoua — 2010, Festival Gnaoua — 2009, Festival Gnaoua — 2008, Festival Gnaoua — 2007, Festival Gnaoua — 2006, Festival Gnaoua — 2005, Festival Gnaoua — 2004, Festival Gnaoua — 2003, Festival Gnaoua — 2002, Festival Gnaoua — 2001, Festival Gnaoua — 2000, Festival Gnaoua — 1999, Festival Gnaoua — 1998.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 25–27, 2026
The signature Gnawa festival. Three days of maâlem-led performances, jazz crossovers, and global fusion at Place Moulay Hassan and stages around the medina. The 27th edition brings 400+ artists including 42 maâlems, themed around 'port cities'.
Most concerts free; reserved central-stage seating 300–500 MAD/day; Zaouia rituals ~250 MAD.
~500,000 visitors
📍 Rabat, MoroccoJune 19–27, 2026
Morocco's largest world-music festival, with one stage typically dedicated to traditional Gnawa from Essaouira alongside global pop, Arab, and Afrobeats programming on other stages.
Large public attendance across multiple stages
📍 Rabat, MoroccoNovember 18–21, 2026
Africa & Middle East music showcase and professional marketplace. Curated programming regularly features Gnawa acts alongside the broader continental scene; particularly useful for booking and industry contact.
📍 Fez, MoroccoJune 4–7, 2026
Long-running sacred-music festival programming Sufi, Gnawa, Andalusian, and global devotional traditions side by side. Gnawa appears as part of the broader sacred-music context rather than as a headlining genre, but the curatorial care is excellent.
📍 Tangier, MoroccoSeptember 18–20, 2026
Tangier jazz festival explicitly known for letting traditional Moroccan rhythms — Gnawa, Andalusian, Berber — converse with contemporary jazz. Stages at the Palace of Italian Institutions and the Palace of Arts and Culture, with brass-band processions through the medina.
📍 Casablanca, MoroccoJuly 2–11, 2026
Casablanca's jazz-and-world-music festival. The 2026 edition runs four concerts per night across Anfa Park and Arab League Park. Programming spans pop, rock, funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and global-fusion — Gnawa appears via fusion artists rather than traditional sets.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 22–27, 2026
Berklee College of Music's intensive program timed with the main Gnaoua festival in Essaouira. Workshops and master classes for professional and semi-professional musicians; a structured way to study Gnawa alongside the festival itself.
📍 Casablanca, MoroccoAnnual, typically September
Urban-music festival running since 1999 — rap, rock, electronic, fusion. Gnawa shows up via fusion artists rather than traditional sets; useful window into how Gnawa crosses into Moroccan contemporary music. 2026 dates not yet confirmed.
📍 Dakhla, Western Sahara / MoroccoAnnual
Saharan-coast festival mixing surf culture with Sahrawi and Gnawa programming. Gnawa nights run alongside traditional Sahrawi sets and improvised desert percussion circles. 2026 dates not yet confirmed.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 19–June 21, 2025
Edition 26 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 39 maâlems programmed: Hamid El Kasri, Houssam Gania, Mohamed Boumezzough, Morad Elmarjan, Abdelaziz Soudani + 34 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 27–June 29, 2024
Edition 25 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 34 maâlems programmed: Hassan Boussou, Moulay El Tayeb Dehbi, Abdelmalek El Kadiri, Hamid El Kasri, Mohamed Kouyou + 29 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 22–June 24, 2023
Edition 24 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 24 maâlems programmed: Abdelaziz Soudani, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Akharraz, Abdelmalek Kadiri + 19 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 23–June 25, 2022
Edition 23 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 27 maâlems programmed: Hossam Guania, Hassan Boussou, Ismail Rahil, Khalid Sansi, Abdelaziz Soudani + 22 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 20–June 22, 2019
Edition 22 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 48 maâlems programmed: Hassan Boussou, Abdelaziz Soudani, Abdelkader Haddada De Tanger, Abdelkebir Benseloum Kbiber, Abdelkebir Kbiber + 43 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 21–June 23, 2018
Edition 21 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 7 maâlems programmed: Mahmoud Guinéa, Hamid El Kasri, Saïd Oughessal, Abdelkebir Merchane, Mustapha Baqbou + 2 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 29–July 1, 2017
Edition 20 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 20 maâlems programmed: Hamid El Kasri, Mohamed Kouyou, Mokhtar Guinea, Mustapha Baqbou, Omar Hayat + 15 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoMay 12–May 14, 2016
Edition 19 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 21 maâlems programmed: Hamid El Kasri, Omar Hayat, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Akharraz + 16 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoMay 14–May 16, 2015
Edition 18 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 19 maâlems programmed: Abdellah Akharaz, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellatif El Makhzoumi, Abdenbi, Abdeslam Alikane + 14 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 12–June 14, 2014
Edition 17 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 18 maâlems programmed: Abdelaziz Soudani, Abdelkbir Merchane, Abdenbi El Gadari, Abdeslam Alikkane, Ahmed Baqbou + 13 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 20–June 23, 2013
Edition 16 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 20 maâlems programmed: Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkbir Merchane, Abdellah Akharraz, Abdellatif El Makhzoumi, Abdenbi El Gadari + 15 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 21–June 24, 2012
Edition 15 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 18 maâlems programmed: Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Akharraz, Abdelouahed Stitou, Abdenbi El Guedari + 13 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 23–June 26, 2011
Edition 14 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 17 maâlems programmed: Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Abdenbi El Guedari + 12 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 24–June 27, 2010
Edition 13 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 20 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdelouahed Stitou + 15 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 25–June 28, 2009
Edition 12 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 18 maâlems programmed: Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Abdenbi El Guedari, Abderrahim Benthami, Ahmed Baalil + 13 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 19–June 22, 2008
Edition 11 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 20 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdelouahed Stitou + 15 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 21–June 24, 2007
Edition 10 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 20 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdellatif Makhzoumi + 15 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 22–June 25, 2006
Edition 9 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 18 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah El Gourd, Abdellah Guinea + 13 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 23–June 26, 2005
Edition 8 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 17 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Benthami, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Abdelouahed Stitou + 12 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 24–June 27, 2004
Edition 7 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 14 maâlems programmed: Abdelkabir Benthami, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Ahmed Baqbou, Allal Soudani + 9 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 26–June 28, 2003
Edition 6 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 13 maâlems programmed: Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Ahmed Baqbou + 8 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 27–June 29, 2002
Edition 5 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 11 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkader Benthami, Abdelkebir Merchane, Abdellah Guinea, Abdelouahed Stitou + 6 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 21–June 23, 2001
Edition 4 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 16 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkabir Benthami, Abdelkader Amlil, Abdelkader Benthami, Abdelkebir Merchane + 11 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 23–June 25, 2000
Edition 3 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 11 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdelkabir Benthami, Abdelouahed Stitou, Allal Soudani, Brahim El Belkani + 6 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 25–June 27, 1999
Edition 2 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 9 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdellah El Gourd, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Brahim El Belkani, Chérif Regragui + 4 more.
📍 Essaouira, MoroccoJune 19–June 21, 1998
Edition 1 of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival. 9 maâlems programmed: Abdeslam Belghiti, Abdellah El Gourd, Abdellatif Makhzoumi, Brahim El Belkani, Chérif Regragui + 4 more.