Essaouira Gnaoua Festival 2025: Highlights, Fusions, and What to Expect This June

This June, Gnaoua 2025 returns to Essaouira with an electrifying mix of heritage, fusion, and global sounds.

Rabat – From June 19 to 21, Morocco’s windy city will once again transform into a vibrant cultural hub as it hosts the 26th edition of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival.

Known for its one-of-a-kind musical fusions and electric atmosphere, the festival returns with a rich program that bridges Moroccan heritage and global sounds, cementing its reputation as one of Africa’s most important cultural events.

A quick look back at 2024 confirms just how far the festival has come. Last year’s 25th anniversary edition wrapped up on a high note, with international and Moroccan artists lighting up Essaouira’s main stages.

From traditional Gnaoua rhythms to bold cross-cultural experiments, the 2024 lineup reaffirmed the festival’s role as both a guardian of heritage and an engine of innovation.

This year, the momentum continues.

Headlining the opening night is the iconic Maâlem Hamid El Kasri, who was the closing headliner last year, joined by Senegal’s Bakalama dance company and singers Abir El Abed and Kya Loum.

Together, they’ll craft a mesmerizing blend of Moroccan trance and West African percussion, an energetic celebration of shared African roots.

The spirit of collaboration doesn’t stop there. Maâlem Houssam Gania, son of the late Mahmoud Gania, is set to team up with American jazz virtuoso Marcus Gilmore in a boundary-pushing performance that pairs the guembri’s deep, hypnotic groove with the precision of modern jazz drumming.

Also on the lineup: Maâlem Mohamed Boumezzough will share the stage with a bold ensemble of musicians from Morocco, Mali, and France, including balafon master Aly Keita and jazz trumpeter Quentin Ghomari.

Expect bold improvisations, surprising harmonies, and a live experiment in musical freedom.

In a move that reflects the festival’s openness to contemporary genres, Afrobeats superstar CKay will also take the stage.

With global hits like “Love Nwantiti” and his signature Afro-Emo sound, CKay brings a fresh energy that speaks to the new generation of African music lovers.

Beyond the performances, the Gnaoua Music Festival 2025 is once again deepening its impact through academic and cultural initiatives, including a renewed partnership with Berklee College of Music as well as UM6P to establish a university Chair of Cross-Cultural and Globalization.

Now in its 26th year, the Essaouira Gnaoua Festival is a living laboratory for music, identity, and creative dialogue.

This June, all roads lead to Essaouira for three unforgettable days of rhythm, soul, and cross-cultural celebration. Stay tuned; more surprises will be on the way.