Essaouira Medina hosts Andalousies Atlantiques from 29 October
Published on 10/31/2026 at 13:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSMusic and memory across the medina
- The Association Essaouira-Mogador presents the festival in Essaouira from 29 to 31 October 2026.
- Bayt Dakira hosts the Forum des Andalousies on 30 October 2026 within the programme.
- UNESCO inscribed the fortified town on its World Heritage List in 2001.
- Dar Souiri and Bayt Dakira are named venues in the published 2026 programme.
In Essaouira, the Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques is taking place at Essaouira Medina (Médina d'Essaouira) from 29 to 31 October 2026. The 21st edition brings Moroccan, Arab-Andalusian, Judeo-Moroccan and flamenco traditions to Dar Souiri, Bayt Dakira and other festival venues across the historic town.
Andalousies Atlantiques brings 15 events to Essaouira
The published programme sets out three days of concerts, musical encounters and discussion from Thursday 29 October to Saturday 31 October 2026. The opening programme includes Moshé Louk and Marouane Hajji in a performance centred on matrouz, a form that places Arabic and Hebrew repertoires in dialogue.
Friday 30 October includes the Forum des Andalousies at Bayt Dakira, with the theme The importance of place, the importance of the bond. The programme also names Dar Souiri for music and encounters, while Saturday 31 October brings Olga Pericet together with Hamid Ajbar and his musicians in a flamenco and Arab-Andalusian meeting. The closing performance pairs the HaPiyut Ensemble with Maâlma Hind Ennaira in a meeting between piyut and Gnaoua traditions. The published 2026 programme gives the dates, artists and venues.
Essaouira Medina links the festival to a fortified port
The festival venues sit within a place whose urban form is part of its cultural setting. UNESCO describes Essaouira Medina as a late-eighteenth-century fortified town built according to contemporary European military principles in a North African context.
The town was founded under Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah, who reigned from 1757 to 1790, and developed as an international trading seaport linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the wider world. UNESCO records the property as 56.7 hectares and gives 2001 as the year of inscription on the World Heritage List. That history gives the 2026 programme a defined setting: the forum is held at Bayt Dakira, while Dar Souiri provides a cultural venue within the old town. UNESCO describes the World Heritage site as a fortified trading town with preserved urban fabric and ramparts.
Three days connect Arab, Jewish and Mediterranean traditions
The 2026 theme is expressed through named collaborations rather than a single musical style. The programme places piyut, Gnaoua, flamenco, malhoun and Arab-Andalusian music alongside forums about memory, cultural transmission and the relationship between places and communities.
Several programme details are tied directly to Essaouira. Dar Souiri is listed for concerts and musical encounters, Bayt Dakira for the Friday forum, and the festival’s closing meeting brings two traditions associated with Morocco into the same performance. The event therefore uses the old town not simply as a backdrop but as a network of cultural venues. The event listing names the venues and records the programme dates through 31 October 2026.
Visiting Essaouira Medina: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The festival runs from 29 to 31 October 2026 at Dar Souiri, Bayt Dakira and other named venues in Essaouira.
- The published programme includes the Forum des Andalousies at Bayt Dakira on 30 October 2026, alongside concerts and encounters at Dar Souiri.
- Essaouira Medina is a pedestrian historic quarter, so vehicles stop at the surrounding gates rather than travelling through its lanes.
- The site is a fortified town with ramparts, narrow lanes and an urban layout shaped in the eighteenth century.
- Morocco's official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and its national currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Essaouira Medina
When does Andalousies Atlantiques take place at Essaouira Medina?
The 21st edition takes place from 29 to 31 October 2026 in Essaouira, with venues including Dar Souiri and Bayt Dakira.
What is Essaouira Medina?
It is an eighteenth-century fortified town and former international trading seaport that UNESCO inscribed on its World Heritage List in 2001.
Where is Essaouira Medina and how do you get there?
It is in Essaouira on Morocco's Atlantic coast. The historic quarter is pedestrian, with vehicles stopping at the surrounding gates.
