Marrakech Local Events

There are a number of great festivals, celebrations and events in Marrakech throughout the year. For organised performances you will have to wait for festivals, but there will always be some form of musical, dance or operatic Marrakech event taking place at the open air theatre in Théâtre Royal at Gueliz the rest of the time too. During the Festival of Popular Arts a number of performing art styles are mixed to create one-of-a-kind events. We list all the latest events in Marrakech below ensuring you won't miss out on any of the excitement!

Morocco's annual International Film Festival has been hosted at Marrakech since the turn of the century. This event is a key date on the social calendar, with a number of peripheral events being organised to support the festival. Several movies have been set in Morocco down the years and this event helps reinforce that link. Jury members include world renowned actors, writers and other big names from the world of entertainment. Feature films as well as short films from Morocco and overseas are recognized at the festival, which is chaired by Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid.

Fantasia is a performance that is a must-see for any visitor to the city. Held during the Popular Arts Festival in July, this horse-riding event is a sight to behold. Hundreds of horses ridden by men and women, draped in the traditional garb of the horsemen of old, charge out in the evening just outside the city walls close to Bab Jdid. If you aren't lucky enough to be visiting in July, the Chez Ali Restaurant offers a version of the Fantasia performance as part of the evening's entertainment. This is, of course, a touristy version but no less exciting.

Every year Imilchil, located in the Middle-High Atlas, hosts a mass-marriage ceremony where as many as forty couples are married. The event is accompanied by much pomp and Berber style dance and music. The dates of the event aren't fixed; however, it takes place soon after the harvest season each year.

Music is intrinsic to life and living in Marrakech, just as it is to the rest of the country. Many musicians simply take to the street and perform for anyone who might be interested in the Jemaa el Fna area. Musicians are equally content performing impromptu as they are staging a performance at an organised venue.