Summer is coming to an end in Morocco, and the country's cultural agenda is shifting to its fall schedule, with three festivals set to welcome visitors to Casablanca, Tangier and Essaouira in the coming weeks.
Tanjazz returns to Tangier
The 23rd edition of Tangier's Tanjazz Festival is scheduled to take place from September 18–20. The "Tangier Jazz Festival," which in previous editions has also been known as the "Tanjazz International Jazz Festival" and the "International Jazz Festival of Tangier," will return after a one-year break.
Headlining the three-day lineup so far are Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, who will perform on the opening night, September 18, at the Palais des Institutions Italiennes. Flamenco singer Diego El Cigala is also booked for the festival and will appear the following evening at the same venue.
Jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater is also confirmed, in a lineup that has previously featured artists including Marcus Miller and George Benson.
This year's programme is expected to span swing, blues, funk, flamenco and African grooves, across the Palais des Institutions Italiennes and the Grand Théâtre de Tanger. Free concerts, jam sessions and dance workshops will also extend beyond the main venues into the city.
The festival has long presented itself as a reflection of Tangier's cosmopolitan history as a crossroads between Europe and Africa, with previous editions attracting more than 59,000 visitors.
L'Boulevard brings Casablanca's urban scene to the fore
L'Boulevard takes place from September 4–6 in Casablanca. Now in its 24th edition, it is Morocco's leading festival for hip-hop, rock, metal and electronic music.
Held annually since 1999, the festival has become closely associated with Morocco's youth culture and underground music scene. It incorporates the Tremplin competition, which gives lesser-known bands an opportunity to perform before a larger audience, as well as Sbagha Bagha, a graffiti and street-art component that has become one of the festival's most recognizable features.
Moga Festival closes the season in Essaouira
The season concludes in Essaouira with the Moga Festival, which will be held from September 30 to October 4 for its 10th-anniversary edition.
The lineup features 57 artists from 16 countries, including Sonja Moonear, Bradley Zero, Richy Ahmed and Silvie Loto, performing house and techno alongside the Gnaoua musical tradition.
The event will take place at the Sofitel Mogador resort, while satellite "Moga OFF" parties will be held in Essaouira's medina in the days leading up to the main festival.
Taken together, the three festivals showcase the range of Morocco's music scene as it heads into fall, from Tangier's internationally curated jazz programme to Casablanca's locally rooted urban platform and Essaouira's electronic-music showcase, with each targeting a different segment of the country's growing festival-tourism economy.
