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Gnaoua Festival 2025 brings four days of music, culture, and spiritual energy to the heart of Essaouira. Here’s what to expect this summer.
Essaouira might usually be best known for laid-back vibes and tranquillity but, for a few days each year in June, the city dances to a different beat. The Gnaoua Festival draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, transforming the ancient streets into a series of live music venues, with free and paid concerts offering a unique chance to become immersed in a distinct and ancient artform, with plenty of twenty-first century flavours thrown into the mix.
What is the Gnaoua Festival?
Dating back to 1998, the Gnaoua Festival (also known as the Gnaoua World Music Festival) is the largest festival of its type in the world, with a strong emphasis on showcasing Gnawa music, culture and traditions. Going back over three hundred years, Gnawa music originated in West Africa and was brought over to Morocco where it continues to flourish (thanks in part to the festival).
Perhaps one of the most exciting elements of the festival is the combination of Gnawa music with other musical genres from around the world, giving rise to a whole new sound that’s unique to the festival.
During the three days of the festival, there are over 300 performers spread around seven different official stages. Away from the musical performances, you can expect to find workshops, meeting spaces, educational exhibits and forums to visit and interact with.
It’s common to see Gnawa musicians performing all over the country throughout the year but it’s during the few days of the festival that you’ll really appreciate the music and traditions. With a mixture of paid events on large-scale stages, right down to impromptu performances on the beach, there are hundreds of things happening all of the time.
Do keep in mind that, for the rest of the year, Essaouira never has to deal with this amount of people, so some of the city’s infrastructure does start to feel the strain at times during the festival.
When and where is Gnaoua Festival 2025?
The Gnaoua festival takes place in the beautiful Moroccan coastal city of Essaouira, with the main stage located at Moulay Hassan Square.
The festival runs from June 19th to 21st, 2025.
What to expect in 2025
The 2025 edition of the festival has another strong line-up of Gnawa and international artists, with the Moulay Hassan Square stage playing host to multiple acts over the three days. There are also several Human Rights forums taking place across the weekend, alongside the many free performances around the city.
Check out the below video from last year’s Gnaoua Festival:
Beyond the music: art, workshops and more
Over the years, the Gnaoua Festival has expanded to include events and programmes away from the music. This year, keep an eye out for:
- Human Rights forums on 20th and 21st June, a series of four roundtable discussions centred on human mobility and cultural dynamics.
- Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, a chance for local and international students to take part in a five day program from professors at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.
- Talking Tree, an free and open space for discussion and exchange of ideas across cultural boundaries.
- Small scale concerts and art installations
Tips for first-time visitors
- Book accommodation and transport as early as possible, the city is full to bursting during the festival.
- Essaouira creaks under the strain of all the visitors and feels very busy. Do consider if this sounds like your sort of experience.
- Book tickets for the main stage, either for one, two or all three days.
- Remember that FREE small-scale shows and performances pop up all over the city, so you don’t need to plan the whole itinerary in advance.
- Consider staying outside the city if you think you might need a break from the crowds.
- Essaouira is a very safe place to visit, but keep an eye on your belongings and for pickpockets around the busier parts of the festival.
Tickets for Gnaoua Festival 2025
Tickets can be bought for the main Moulay Hassan Stage from the official festival website, for either one, two or all three days.
You will need to visit Moulay Hassan parking lot before entry to exchange your online ticket for a festival badge.
How to get to Essaouira for the Gnaoua Festival
The easiest way to reach Essaouira for the festival is either via a private transfer or the bus.
We’d recommend using 12Go to book your bus tickets to Essaouira, the website is easy to use and allows you to also check timetables and route. Click here to book your ticket.
Final thoughts on Gnaoua Festival
The Gnaoua Festival brings an entirely different energy to the usually peaceful town of Essaouira and, as long as you don’t mind the crowds, it makes for an epic few days on the Moroccan coast. Gnawa music is a beautiful African artform and the festival is the ideal place to witness it, especially when it combines with sounds and beats from other parts of the world, making for an experience unique to the festival.
Keep an eye out for the side events including beach performances, cultural exchanges, forums and educational outreach programmes. These help create a multi-layered festival experience and one that you’re guaranteed to remember.
Explore Essaouira ebook
Updated for 2025, the Explore Essaouira ebook is the only travel guide you need for exploring Essaouira. This is jam-packed with inspiration on what to do, where to eat, where to stay, and also includes a step-by-step self-guided walking tour (with photos).
This is a PDF download for use offline and on the go (and ad-free!). Save it to read on the plane to Morocco, download to your phone to follow the self-guided walking tour around the medina, or print it off at home before you leave on your adventures and highlight all the bits you want to remember for your visit.
If you have found this website useful for planning your Essaouira adventures, you can show your support by buying Jenny a coffee. Thanks so much!
Before your go, check out these useful reads for your visit:
The best things to do in Essaouira
Essaouira walking tour (self-guided)
Day trips from Essaouira
How to get around Essaouira
The best restaurants in Essaouira
The best hotels in Essaouira
Essaouira travel FAQs: everything you need to know before your visit
A brief history of Essaouira
