Gnaoua, Andalousies Atlantiques, Jazz sous l'Arganier, photography, contemporary art and New Year's Eve: the Essaouira events calendar, with dates, venues and how to get there.
14 articles
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Essaouira is small, but its cultural calendar is not. The town that UNESCO lists both for its medina and as a Creative City of Music fills its squares, ramparts and old riads with festivals all year round: Gnawa trance in June, Judeo-Andalusian music in autumn, jazz between Christmas and New Year, photography and contemporary art in winter, classical music in spring.
The guides in this section tell you what each event is really like, when it usually takes place, where the concerts happen, how to get tickets and — because that is our job — how to get there and back without stress, even when the last concert ends after midnight.
Coming for a festival? Our Marrakech to Essaouira transfer takes about 2 h 30, the Essaouira airport transfer about 20 minutes, and every price is fixed per vehicle, not per person. Start with the Essaouira events calendar 2026–2027.
Start here
From the Andalousies Atlantiques in autumn to the Gnaoua festival in June, here is the Essaouira events calendar for 2026–2027: every festival, what it is like, the dates announced so far and how to plan your trip around it.
Every autumn Essaouira celebrates its shared Jewish and Muslim heritage with a weekend of Andalusian music, gharnati song and conversations. Here is our guide to the Andalousies Atlantiques 2026: dates, venues, how the programme works and how to get there.
Read articleEach late autumn, the Institut français turns Essaouira's ramparts, bastions and cultural spaces into a photography trail. Here is our guide to the Rendez-vous de la Photo 2026: past editions, expected dates, where to see the exhibitions and how to photograph the town yourself.
Read articleBetween Christmas and New Year, Essaouira's Dar Souiri hosts an intimate jazz festival where Moroccan, African and international musicians meet. Here is our guide to Jazz sous l'Arganier 2026: dates, atmosphere, tickets, where to stay and how to get there.
Read articleEssaouira is one of the most charming places in Morocco to see in the New Year: gala dinners by the ocean, rooftop parties, live music in the medina and a quiet beach walk on 1 January. Here is how to plan New Year's Eve 2026–2027 — and how to get home after midnight.
Read articleDar Souiri is the small cultural house where much of Essaouira's musical life happens: jazz in December, Andalusian music in autumn, classical concerts in spring, talks and exhibitions all year. Here is what goes on there in winter 2026–2027 and how to make the most of it.
Read articleWhere can you watch a film, borrow a book, see an exhibition or attend a talk in Essaouira? Our guide to the médiathèque of the Institut français, the town's film events and the cultural meetings that fill the calendar between festivals.
Read articleEvery June, the Gnaoua & World Music Festival turns Essaouira into one giant stage. The 28th edition is announced for 24–26 June 2027. Here is how the festival works, where to stay when the town is full, and how to get there and back without spending your weekend in traffic.
Read articleFor its sixth edition, the Casablanca International Biennale has moved to Essaouira, with more than eighty artists shown across the town from 10 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Here is what we know, how to plan your visit and how to combine it with the town's winter festivals.
Read articleEssaouira is not a party town, but its evenings are among the most pleasant in Morocco: sunset on the Skala, a lively square, Gnawa music in small venues, rooftop dinners and concerts in the medina's cultural houses. Here is what to do in Essaouira at night, season by season.
Read articleEach spring, Essaouira swaps Gnawa drums for string quartets and opera arias. The Printemps Musical des Alizés brings classical musicians to Dar Souiri and the medina's historic houses. Here is what to expect in 2027, when to go and how to combine it with the town's other spring events.
Read articleEssaouira has more galleries per street than almost any town in Morocco, and a remarkable story of self-taught painters. Here is our guide to the art galleries of Essaouira: the history, the addresses worth a visit, calligraphy and thuya workshops, and tips for buying art and shipping it home.
Read articleFrom kite camps in the bay to the Wave Classic Moulay windsurf contest, Essaouira lives by the wind. Here is our 2027 guide to surf and kitesurf in Essaouira: seasons, courses and camps, competitions to watch, and how to travel between the spots with your boards.
Read articleBuses sell out, parking disappears and the last concert ends after midnight: festival weekends in Essaouira need a transport plan. Here is how to get to Essaouira for a festival from Marrakech, the airports or Casablanca — and how to get home again — with real journey times and fixed prices per vehicle.
Read articleFixed prices per vehicle, meet & greet and a local driver who knows the road. Get a quote in minutes on WhatsApp.
