Festivals in Morocco
Fixed Date Festivals in Morocco
February
Tafraoute, near Agadir, southwestern Morocco — Festival of the almond blossom
April
Immouzer des Ida Outonane — Honey festival
May
El Kelaa des Mgouna, Dades Valley Rose festival
Moulay Bousselham, north of Kenitra — Moussem de Sid Ahmed Ben Mansour
Fиs — Festival des Musiques Sacrйes, (late May running into June)Salй Moussem de Sidi Abdallah Ben Hassoun, patron saint of Salй and of travellers. Include a large procession with wax lanterns held aloft on poles and local people dressed up in pirate costumes.
June
Ouarzazate — Desert Symphonies
Sefrou — Cherry festival
Marrakech —Festival of Folk Art and Music
Larache — Moussem de Maulay Abdeslam ben M’chich
Tan Tan — Moussem de Sidi Mohamed Ma El Ainin
July
El Hoceima — Festival of Sea Produce
Camel Festival — Guelmim
August
Asilah — Cultural and Arts Festival
El Jadida — Moussem of Moulay Abdellah
Immouzer du Kandar — Festival des pommes
Moulay Idriss — Moussem of Moulay Idris Zerhoun
Setti Fatma, Ourika Valley near Marrakech — Moussem of Setti Fatma
Tiznit — Moussem of Sidi Ahmed ou Moussa
September
lmilchil — Marriage Festival (last week of September/first week of October)
Tissa (Fиs) — Horse festival
Fиs — Moussem of Moulay Idris al Azhar
October
Erfoud — Date festival
Fes – Festival of Sacred Music
November
Marche Verte/EI Massira el Khadhra (commemorating a march by Moroccan civilians to retake the Spanish held Saharan territories of Rio de Oro and Saguiet El Hamra) 6 November
Independence Day (commemorating independence and Mohamed V’s return from exile) 18 November
December
Agadir Festival
Regional and Local Festivals
Morocco also has a number of regional and local festivals, often focusing around a local saint or harvest time of a particular product, and are fairly recent in origin. The moussems or traditional local festivals are an important part of Moroccan rural life. The main Moroccan festivals come in two categories: firstly, the more religious festivals, the timing of which relates to the lunar Islamic year, and secondly the annual festivals with relatively fixed dates. The following are the most important regional festivals in Morocco.
The Ahouach
The Ahouach in the valleys of the High Atlas: the women form a circle around men playing tambourines.
The Ahaidous
The Ahaidous of the Middle Atlas: men and women in a circle beat out the rhythm in turn by stamping on the ground.
The Guedra
The Guedra from southern Morocco: a dancer sinks to her knees, totally covered by a black veil. A throbbing rhythm builds as her fingers weave and transfix the audience.
The Tissint de Tata
The Tissint de Tata from south of Agadir: women and men dressed in indigo perform the dance of the dagger.
The Gnaouas
The Gnaouas is of African origin: against an obsessive rhythm, dancers rival each other with acrobatic feats.
The Taskiouine
The Taskiouine from the High Atlas close to Ouarzazate: a dance of warriors, both powerful and virile. Dressed in white tunics, a powder flask on their shoulders, they beat out the rhythm with their feet and clap their hands energetically.
The Kelaa M’ Gouna
The Kelaa M’ Gouna - not to be missed during the Rose Festival every May.
Al Aita
Al Aita authentic rural art from the valleys and the mountains, which accompanies weddings and popular festivities.
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