Medina of Tunis hosts Oud Festival until 24 October

The Medina of Tunis (Médina de Tunis) is hosting the Festival international du Oud in Tunis from 16 to 24 October 2026. The programme links concerts, workshops and discussions about the oud with venues inside and around the historic quarter.

Festival international du Oud runs until 24 October

The fourth Festival international du Oud is organised by Club culturel Tahar Haddad under the authority of Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the Tunis Regional Delegation for Cultural Affairs. The published programme places the opening on 16 October at Club culturel Tahar Haddad in the Medina, with an exhibition of Tunisian and oriental ouds, a live oud-making workshop and a concert by Zied Gharsa.

The programme continues with an oriental oud competition, concerts and workshops. On 22 October, Ghalia Ben Hlima is scheduled to perform at Club culturel Tahar Haddad, while the 23 October programme includes a colloquium on contemporary approaches to the oud and its renewal. The festival closes on 24 October at the Opera Theatre of the Cité de la Culture Chedli Klibi with Trio Joubran. The published festival programme identifies both the dates and the Medina venue.

Oud concerts meet a UNESCO-listed urban ensemble

The festival’s main Medina venue places a contemporary music programme in a historic quarter whose buildings and public spaces form part of a wider protected ensemble. UNESCO says the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 and includes the central medina and northern and southern suburbs.

UNESCO describes the Medina as one of the first Arabo-Muslim towns of the Maghreb, with origins in 698. Its listed property covers approximately 280 hectares and contains some 700 historic monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasas and fountains. The site also includes the El Attarine military barracks, Dar Lasram and the Souq el-Attarine. This setting gives the oud programme a direct connection with the architectural and musical heritage that the festival presents. The UNESCO description of the Medina records its historical development and protected monuments.

Several festival venues extend beyond the Medina

Although the festival is identified with the Medina, its programme also uses cultural venues elsewhere in Tunis and the surrounding region. Dar el Oud Ettounsi hosts a workshop and a luthist ensemble on 18 October. Dar Lasram is listed for a Lebanese evening and a concert by Charbel Rouhana on 23 October.

The closing performance by Trio Joubran is scheduled for the Opera Theatre at the Cité de la Culture Chedli Klibi on 24 October. For travellers, the programme therefore combines a Medina visit with separate cultural venues, rather than placing every listed performance inside the old city.

Visiting Medina of Tunis: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Festival international du Oud runs from 16 to 24 October 2026. Club culturel Tahar Haddad in the Medina is the principal venue named for the opening programme.
• The schedule includes concerts, workshops, an oriental oud competition and a colloquium. The closing concert is scheduled for 24 October 2026 at the Opera Theatre of the Cité de la Culture Chedli Klibi.
• The Medina is in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, and the programme names Club culturel Tahar Haddad, Dar el Oud Ettounsi and Dar Lasram as venues connected with the festival.
• The historic quarter contains souqs, residential areas, monuments and gates within a dense urban fabric. UNESCO lists the central eighth-century medina and thirteenth-century northern and southern suburbs.
• The official language of Tunisia is Arabic, with French also widely used in public life; the national currency is the Tunisian dinar.
• 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 Medina of Tunis

When does the Festival international du Oud take place at Medina of Tunis?

The festival runs from 16 to 24 October 2026, with the opening programme at Club culturel Tahar Haddad in the Medina.

What is Medina of Tunis?

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tunis, inscribed in 1979 and containing some 700 historic monuments.

Where is Medina of Tunis and how do you get there?

It is the historic quarter of Tunis in Tunisia. The festival programme names Club culturel Tahar Haddad as its principal Medina venue.