Casablanca – Jazzablanca 2026 is already entering its third day, and the festival continues to broaden its musical horizons.
Saturday’s lineup moves effortlessly between Amazigh sounds, soul, jazz, funk, hip-hop, conscious music, and classic rock, bringing together artists whose careers span generations and continents.
Football joins the program
Tonight’s program also makes room for football, with Jazzablanca broadcasting Morocco’s FIFA World Cup match against Canada at 6 p.m. for festivalgoers.
To accommodate the screening, the festival has slightly adjusted the evening schedule, bringing forward the opening performance.
Sarah Mazigh
With the revised schedule, the evening now begins at 4 p.m. on the free-access Parc de la Ligue Arabe stage, where Moroccan artist Sarah Mazigh opens the program before the match kicks off.
Rooted in Amazigh musical traditions, Mazigh has developed a sound that naturally blends jazz-funk, afrobeat, soul, and the rhythms of southern Morocco.
Accompanied by musicians playing “ribab,” “outar,” “banjo,” and Ahwach percussion, her performance promises a meeting between ancestral traditions and contemporary arrangements.
José James & China Moses
At 7:15 p.m., attention shifts to Scene 21, where José James and China Moses celebrate the 50th anniversary of I Want You, revisiting one of Marvin Gaye’s most iconic albums.
Recognized for redefining modern jazz by weaving together soul, hip-hop, and R&B, José James has built a career that constantly bridges generations of Black American music.
Joined by China Moses, the performance revisits one of Marvin Gaye’s most celebrated albums through a contemporary lens.
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble ft. Mehdi Nassouli
The energy then moves to the Casa Anfa Stage at 8:45 p.m., where Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble reunites with Jazzablanca after its memorable 2019 appearance.
Known for blending jazz, funk, soul, and hip-hop through an unmistakable brass sound, the ensemble has collaborated with artists ranging from Prince to Gorillaz and Erykah Badu.
Their collaboration with Moroccan gnaoua musician Mehdi Nassouli adds a new dimension to the performance, bringing together powerful brass arrangements and Moroccan musical traditions.
Brian Jackson
Back on Scene 21 at 10 p.m., American musician Brian Jackson takes the stage.
As one half of the legendary duo Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson, he helped shape the conscious jazz movement of the 1970s, influencing generations of artists and laying part of the foundations for modern hip-hop.
His music continues to resonate today through its powerful messages and timeless compositions.
Scorpions
The evening reaches its climax at the Casa Anfa Stage, where German rock legends Scorpions close the night.
With more than six decades of career, 120 million albums sold, and classics such as “Still Loving You,” “Wind of Change,” and “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” Scorpions remain one of rock’s most enduring bands.
Their Jazzablanca appearance forms part of their 60th anniversary world tour, bringing decades of rock history to Casablanca.
Which stage will you be heading to tonight?
Whether it’s Amazigh fusion, contemporary jazz, brass-driven funk, conscious music, or timeless rock, Jazzablanca’s third day once again offers audiences a journey across musical worlds, all within the same festival.
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