Samaa Marrakech Festival Returns December 3 to 6 With Four Days of Sufi Music in the Medina

Marrakech’s Samaa Festival will return from Thursday, December 3 to Sunday, December 6, 2026, bringing four days of spiritual music, Sufi traditions and cultural encounters into the historic Medina.

The 15th edition is being organized by the Al Muniya Association of Marrakech and is presented around music, reflection and contemplation rather than a conventional concert-only format.

Spiritual concerts inside the Medina

Marrakech’s official tourism office says the festival will place major voices of Samaa and Sufi music in emblematic historic locations across the Medina. The exact venue-by-venue timetable has not yet been published, so visitors should treat the December dates as confirmed while waiting for the detailed programme.

That setting is central to the identity of the festival. Rather than moving the music into a modern arena, the event uses Marrakech’s historic fabric as part of the experience, linking sacred music with the architecture and cultural memory of the old city.

More than concerts

The 2026 edition will also include meetings and intellectual discussions around Sufism, spiritual traditions and the heritage of old medinas.

The organizers are also planning quieter spaces for reflection and artistic transmission, giving the festival a slower rhythm than the city’s larger music events.

Why this matters for visitors

For travelers, Samaa Marrakech offers a different side of the city from nightlife, rooftop events or large commercial festivals. It is rooted in spiritual music and heritage, and the programme is designed around listening, cultural context and the atmosphere of the Medina itself.

That makes it particularly relevant for visitors interested in Moroccan music traditions, Sufism, historic architecture and cultural events that feel connected to Marrakech rather than imported into it.

Practical information

Dates: Thursday, December 3 to Sunday, December 6, 2026. Edition: 15th. Location: historic Medina of Marrakech. Organizer: Al Muniya Association of Marrakech.

The full daily programme, individual monuments and access details have not yet been published. MarrakechSouks will update this article when the detailed schedule is released.

Image: Moroccan Jilala Sufi musicians, circa 1900, public domain, Wikimedia Commons.