Gnaoua festival

Every year in June, Essaouira hosts the Gnaoua (Gnawa) Festival, which pays tribute to the mystical music of the Gnaouas. The Atlantic beach town of Essaouira offers one of the best anchorages in Morocco and its medina, a well-preserved walled city dating from the late 18th century, has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This year, 2024, the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary! From 27 to 29 June 2024.

Gnaoua Festival: visitors from all over the world

The Gnaoua Festival in Essaouira, Morocco, attracts more than 500,000 visitors from around the world each year to celebrate the city’s distinct culture and enjoy performances by renowned musicians and jazz artists. The four-day event features Gnaoua music and art exhibitions that attract huge crowds. International artists and bands from Marrakech, Tangier and Essaouira gather at many venues including Place Moulay Hassan, Bab Doukkala, Bab Marrakech, Dar Souiri, Chez Kebin, Zaouia Gnaoua, Place Khayma and Marche Aux Grain.

Recently, Gnaoua singers have benefited from a dedicated platform in Bab Doukkala, allowing fans to interact with personalities such as Hamid El Kasri and Abdelkébir Merchane. This stage is exclusively reserved for gnaoua performances and, every night at midnight, the faithful can discover authentic lilacs during the amazing gnaoua zaouia trances.

Gnaoua Festival 2024: the programme

THURSDAY 27 JUNE

OPENING CONCERT: MAÂLEM HASSAN BOUSSOU & MAÂLEM MOULAY EL TAYEB DEHBI AVEC LA COMPAGNIE DUMANLÉ, NINO DE LOS REYES, SERGIO MARTINEZ & ILÊ AIYÊ
FUSION : MAÂLEM ABDELMALEK EL KADIRI AVEC ALUNE WADE
COMPAGNIE DUMANLÉ
ILÊ AIYÊ
ISSAM KAMAL & MAZAGAN
MAÂLEM ABDELMALEK EL KADIRI
MAÂLEM ABDESLAM ALIKKANE
MAÂLEM HAMID EL KASRI
MAÂLEM HASSAN BOUSSOU
MAÂLEM ISMAIL RAHIL
MAÂLEM MOULAY EL TAYEB DEHBI
MAÂLEM SAÏD KOUYOU

FRIDAY 28 JUNE

ABLAYE CISSOKO & CORDABA
AITA MON AMOUR
BCUC
BOKANTE
FUSION : ABLAYE CISSOKO & CORDABA AVEC MEHDI QAMOUM
FUSION : MAÂLEM HAMID EL KASRI AVEC BOKANTÉ
FUSION : MAÂLEM MOHAMED KOUYOU, RHANI KRIJA, GUIMBA KOUYATÉ, JON GRANDCAMP, KIKE PERDOMO, MEHDI CHAIB & HBS TRUMPET
FUSION : MAÂLEM TARIQ AÏT HMITTI AVEC BCUC
GUIMBA KOUYATÉ
HBS TRUMPET
ISSAM KAMAL & MAZAGAN
JON GRANDCAMP
KIKE PERDOMO
Labess-Photo-Gnaoua Festival Morocco
MAÂLEM ABDELKEBIR KBIBER
MAÂLEM ABDELKEBIR MERCHANE
MAÂLEM MOHAMMED KOUYOU
MAÂLMA ASMAA HAMZAOUI & BNAT TIMBOUKTOU
MEHDI CHAÏB
MEHDI QAMOUM
NINO DE LOS REYES & SERGIO MARTINEZ
RHANI KRIJA
SAINT LEVANT
THE BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION

SATURDAY 29 JUNE

AÏTA MON AMOUR
Alune Wade
BOKANTÉ
BUIKA
DUMANLÉ COMPANY
FUSION : MAÂLEM HAMID EL KASRI AVEC BOKANTÉ
LABESS
MAÂLEM ABDELKEBIR KBIBER
MAÂLEM MUSTAPHA BAQBOU
MAÂLEM ISMAIL RAHIL
Maâlem Mohamed Boumezzough
MAÂLEM YOUNES EL HADIR
MEHDI NASSOULI
Mehdi Qamoum
SIMON SHAHEEN QUARTET
Randy Brecker – THE BRECKER BROTHERS BAND REUNION

Discover the artists and the full programme.

Thematic stages and world music

The new Bab Sebaa stage allows you to discover world and jazz musicians, while the Moulay Hassan stage is reserved for the great figures of music. The new generation of maâlems performs on the small stages in the medina, and two specific venues, the Pepsi stage and the Méditel stage, welcome fans of modern Moroccan music and electronic fusion.

With ten concert halls offering ten distinct but complementary programmes, there is something for everyone at the Gnaoua Festival. The level of excellence has not changed.

Gnaoua, fusion and jazz

An evening usually consists of several segments. From 6 to 9 p.m., Gnaoua music takes centre stage, followed by performances by non-Gnaoua jazzmen.

People look forward to the start of the evening, when the Gnaoua Maâlem (masters) and their ensembles begin to perform. The Maâlems use bowed lutes, such as the gogo, and plucked lutes, such as the gimbri, also known as the hajhuj, a three-stringed bass instrument, which are deeply rooted in their traditions.

The traditional spiritual music of the Gnaoua has been transformed by the Essaouira Gnaoua Festival, which has infused it with jazz, blues, reggae and hip-hop. Each year, the festival creates one of Morocco’s largest public events and most exhilarating jam sessions by bringing together renowned musicians to exchange and mix their music with Gnaoua music.

Poster for the 25th Essaouira Gnaoua Festival 2024

Every year, musicians and artists from all over the world flock to Essaouira to experience the unique atmosphere of the city during the Gnaoua festival, as well as at other times of the year. Festival participants have plenty of free time to explore the city and its surroundings. Once the shows are over, there is no reason not to extend your stay in Morocco to discover other attractions in the country.

Gnaoua Festival: some key figures

Here are some key figures on the Essaouira Gnaoua Festival:

The festival was established in 1998 and has since attracted internationally renowned artists such as Robert Plant, Marcus Miller, and Tinariwen, as well as local and regional musicians.
The festival usually lasts four days, and takes place in the summer, usually in June.
Each year the festival attracts around 500,000 visitors, with participants coming from all over the world to attend concerts, workshops and other events.
The festival is also a major economic event for the city of Essaouira, generating around 200 million Moroccan dirhams (around €18 million) in economic benefits.
In addition to the music, the festival also includes cultural events such as art exhibitions, film screenings, and lectures on Gnawa music and its historical and cultural roots.