Essaouira Jazz Festival 2026: Three Nights at Jazz sous l'Arganier's 10th Edition (26–28 December)

In ten years, a small winter jazz festival has become one of the most awaited dates in Essaouira's cultural calendar. The Essaouira jazz festival — Jazz sous l'Arganier, "jazz under the argan tree" — celebrates its 10th edition from 26 to 28 December 2026 at Dar Souiri, in the heart of the medina. Three nights, a hall where the audience sits a few metres from the musicians, and jam sessions that run well past midnight.

This guide covers what to know before you go: the key facts about the 10th edition, what the last three line-ups tell you about the music, how an evening works, a three-night plan and how to organise your trip from Marrakech or Essaouira airport.

Essaouira jazz festival 2026 at a glance

• Edition: the 10th.
• Dates: Saturday 26 to Monday 28 December 2026.
• Venue: Dar Souiri, 10 rue du Caire, in the medina — the cultural house and headquarters of the Essaouira-Mogador association, which organises the festival.
• Artistic direction: the 2025 edition was directed by Majid Bekkas, the Moroccan guembri master, guitarist and singer.
• Programme: in recent years, the line-up has been published in December, a few days before the opening.
• Tickets: the hall is small; in 2024, tickets were sold online through the Moroccan ticketing platform Tidar.

As the programme can still change, check the organiser's announcements before booking non-refundable travel. Our Jazz sous l'Arganier 2026 guide and our Dar Souiri guide give more background on the festival and its venue.

Ten years of jazz under the argan tree

The festival's name sums up its spirit: jazz rooted in Morocco and open to Africa and the world. At the opening of the 9th edition, the organisers described jazz in Essaouira as a music of freedom and universality, true to the cultural DNA of the "City of the Trade Winds". The last three editions show what that means on stage:

• 2023, 7th edition: the oud of Driss El Maloumi opened the festival, and the Majid Bekkas Quintet closed it with "Joudour", an Afro-jazz project led by the guembri player.
• 2024, 8th edition: Aly Keita's balafon, the Saiko Trio of guitarist Nguyên Lê with Japanese koto and Indian tabla, a tribute to the pianist Randy Weston by Cheikh Tidiane Seck's quintet, and the oud of Alaa Zouiten.
• 2025, 9th edition: the trio of Moroccan guitarist Mohamed Derouich, the kora, saxophone and drums of Jet Fuel Trio, American saxophonist JD Allen, the duo of Swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon and Moroccan percussionist Rhani Krija, and a closing jazz-Gnawa creation with Maâlem Mohamed Boumezzough.

Expect the 10th edition to keep that recipe: Moroccan musicians alongside guests from Africa, Europe and the Americas, and at least one meeting between jazz and Gnawa music — a story we tell in our article on Gnawa jazz.

How an evening at the festival works

Recent editions have followed the same generous rhythm. In 2024, the first concert started at 19:30 and the second at 21:00, both at Dar Souiri. Then, around 00:30, came the Midnight Jam Sessions, when the guest artists and local musicians play together without a set list — for many regulars, the best moment of the night.

The daytime has its own programme. In 2024, a jazz forum brought together musicians, researchers, journalists and fans at 11:00 at Bayt Dakira, a few streets away; in 2025, the same house hosted talks and performances of Saharan music.

A three-night plan for the 10th edition

• Saturday 26 December — arrival and opening night. Leave Marrakech in the morning and you reach the medina around lunchtime. Walk the ramparts of the Skala at sunset, have an early dinner and be at Dar Souiri ahead of the first concert.
• Sunday 27 December — forum, port and second night. If a daytime forum is held, start there. Lunch on grilled sardines at the port, then a half-day excursion to Diabat and a women's argan cooperative, or a lazy afternoon on the beach. Back to Dar Souiri for the concerts and the jam.
• Monday 28 December — closing night. Spend the day on the wild beach of Sidi Kaouki and the argan route, or explore the medina at your own pace with our guide to Essaouira's medina and ramparts. Closing nights are often the most festive.
• After the festival. Stay on: the exhibitions of the Casablanca International Biennale are on in Essaouira until 10 January 2027 — see our Biennale guide — and New Year's Eve in Essaouira is only three days away.

Practical tips for the Essaouira jazz festival

• Book your riad now. The week between Christmas and New Year is one of the busiest of the year. A riad in the medina lets you walk back from Dar Souiri after the jam — see where to stay in Essaouira.
• Dress for December. Days are often mild and sunny, but evenings are cool: bring a warm layer for the walk home. Our guide to Essaouira in December has the details.
• Arrive early. Seats are limited, and arriving before the first set gets you a good spot.
• Christmas is a normal working day in Morocco. Shops and restaurants are open on 25 December, so arriving the day before the festival is easy.

Getting to the Essaouira jazz festival with Rouasse Travels

Essaouira has no railway station, and the last week of December is no time to hunt for a bus seat. Rouasse Travels drives you door to door — from your riad or the airport in Marrakech, from Essaouira-Mogador airport, or on to Agadir — at fixed prices per vehicle, not per person, with a professional driver, air conditioning and bottled water.

Prices at the time of writing.

• Meet and greet at the airport: your driver waits with a name sign, follows your flight and gives you 60 minutes of free waiting after landing.
• Travelling with friends? A van for 4 to 7 people costs €120 from Marrakech — between about €17 and €30 per person.
• Book the return at the same time. The days after the festival lead into New Year, one of the busiest periods of the year in Essaouira.

Secure your festival trip now. Book on our booking page or contact us on WhatsApp with your dates, your flight and the number of travellers: we confirm within 24 hours.