The 25th edition of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival comes to an exhilarating conclusion today, June 29, with a diverse array of top international and Moroccan artists set to take the stage.

Gnaoua Festival 2024 Comes To A Close With Eclectic Final Day Lineup

Essaouira – The 25th edition of the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival comes to an exhilarating conclusion today, June 29, with a diverse array of top international and Moroccan artists set to take the stage.

The final day will see performances across the festival’s main venues, offering a mix of pure Gnaoua tradition and innovative musical fusions.

The Moulay Hassan Stage is set to host Spanish flamenco star Buika at 9:15 p.m., followed by a highly anticipated set from Bokanté, the genre-bending project led by Snarky Puppy’s Michael League, at 10:30 p.m.

Maâlem Hamid El Kasri, one of Morocco’s most renowned Gnaoua masters, is set to perform a solo set at midnight before joining Bokanté for a one-of-a-kind fusion to close out the stage at 1 a.m.

Earlier in the evening, the Beach Stage will feature young Gnaoua talent Maâlem Younes El Hadir at 8 p.m, then later the contemporary electronic Moroccan-Tunisian duo Aïta Mon Amour at 9:15 p.m.

This will be followed by the eclectic guembri virtuoso Mehdi Nassouli at 10:30 p.m., and finally Labess, the Algerian-Canadian group known for their uplifting blend of Algerian roots and global sounds, at 11:50 p.m.

Intimate shows immersed in Gnaoua heritage will take place at Bayt Dakira, with Maâlems Saïd Tahlaoui and Hamid El Hadri. Additionally, the Zaouias of Sidna Bilal and Issaoua venues, which are spiritual homes for the Gnaoua brotherhood, will feature Maâlems Brahim El Belkani, Ahmed Baqbou, Saïd El Bourqi and Abdellah Mouakit. Dar Souiri will host Maâlems Abdellah Akharaz and Houssam Guinea.

Culture at the forefront

The final day also includes closing events for the festival’s other major cultural components. In the morning, the Human Rights Forum will conclude its discussions centered on the relations between Morocco, Spain and Portugal and their shared history and future outlook.

The first university chair dedicated to Gnaoua culture, to be established at the Center for African Studies at UM6P University under Professor Ali Benmakhlouf, will be marked by two round table discussions with academics and students.

Berklee College of Music, one of the world’s top music institutions and a new partner for the festival starting this year, will present a private closing concert by local students from Morocco, as well as the rest of Africa and around the world who participated in its weeklong educational program.

According to the organizers, the “Berklee at the Gnaoua and World Music Festival” initiative, the first of its kind at the Gnaoua festival, aims to nurture the next generation of musical talent.

The festival’s spirit of learning and exchange is set to shine through to the final day, with two workshops offering festival-goers the chance to engage directly with artists.

Dumanlé Company from Ivory Coast will present a workshop on the Zaouli tradition, a vibrant masked dance from the Gouro people.

Finally, renowned Moroccan percussionist Rhani Krija will share his expertise in a hands-on percussion workshop.

With such a jam-packed and varied closing day program, the festival’s 25th anniversary edition is poised to end on a high note, reaffirming its status as a peerless international celebration of musical dialogue, cultural exchange and the art of Gnaoua.