Safi – Rabat will host Nostalgia at the historic Chellah from July 1-5 as part of this summer’s cultural calendar. 

Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, this year’s edition, titled “The Soul of Time,” will transform the ancient site into a night-time immersive experience blending light, music, and historical storytelling.

Nightly performances will begin at 9 p.m., with two sessions scheduled for the opening night and three sessions on each of the following evenings. Seats can be reserved through the event’s official website. 

Chellah is a layered site, a Roman town that the Merinids turned into a walled necropolis, now part of Rabat’s UNESCO listing, where storks nest on the towers. Nostalgia returns each summer and also stages a version at Bab Makina in Fes.

Past editions led visitors on foot through the lit ruins, reviving the site’s Roman, Amazigh, Merinid and Alaouite history with light, sound and live scenes.

Chellah ‘Nostalgia’: a legacy of reinvention

The inaugural edition took place in 2023, introducing “Nostalgia: Emotions of Yesterday” at Chellah. The archaeological site transformed into an open air stage where history was brought to life through immersive theatre. 

The production retraced the civilizations that shaped this historic site, attracting around 20,000 spectators before expanding to other historic landmarks across Morocco, including Marrakech, Chefchaouen and Tangier.

Building on the success of its debut, the second edition broadened its historical narrative with new performances dedicated to the Roman, Amazigh, Marinid and Alaouite civilizations.

Through the concept of “site theatre”, spectators followed actors through the ruins, turning Chellah into a living museum and reinforcing the event’s educational dimension.

The Third edition marked the festival’s most ambitious evolution. Hundreds of drones illuminated the night sky above Chellah, recreating scenes from Morocco’s history and highlighting the site’s archeological heritage.

The production involved more than 350 artists and technicians, illustrating the growing scale of the event and its role in promoting cultural tourism and the creative industries.

Each edition the “Nostalgia” event pushed creative boundaries while honoring Morocco’s rich cultural legacy.