The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music brings together spiritual music from every continent each spring, in late May or early June. The concerts take place at historic venues in Fes, such as the great square of Bab Al Makina and the Jnan Sbil gardens. The 29th edition took place from June 4 to 7, 2026.
That year the festival adopted a tighter format: 18 performances over four days, with more than 160 artists.
Origins and meaning of the festival
The festival has been running for nearly three decades. It is run by the Fondation Esprit de Fès, chaired in 2026 by Abderrafia Zouitene. Its founding idea is simple: to bring the world's sacred traditions into dialogue in a city that was once a great religious and scholarly center of Morocco.
Each edition has a theme. In 2025, under the title “Renaissances,” the festival ran from May 16 to 24, with more than 200 artists from 15 countries. In 2026, the theme “Fes and the Mâalemines, Guardians of Craft and Heritage” paid tribute to the master craftspeople of the medina.
Fes forcefully reminds us that heritage is never more alive than when it continues to be practiced, passed on and embodied.
The Fes Festival of World Sacred Music: what you will see
The program mixes Sufi chants, classical traditions and rituals from elsewhere. In 2026, according to TelQuel, audiences heard bards from Kazakhstan, the Pakistani Sufi singer Sanam Marvi, Indian ragas and a sacred Khmer dance from Cambodia.
In 2026 the festival opened with an original production, “Anima Ex Materia, from Sky to Earth”. The show staged the four elements, with a procession lit by lanterns carried by coppersmiths. On the last evening, the “Night of Samaa” brought together the singer Sami Yusuf and a Sufi music ensemble from Konya, Turkey.
Festival venues
| Venue | What you see there | Times in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Bab Al Makina | Original productions and major concerts | 9 p.m. |
| Jnan Sbil gardens | Afternoon and late-night concerts | 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 11 p.m. |
| Dar Adiyel | More intimate morning recitals | 10 a.m. and noon |
Source: official festival program, 2026 edition.
Bab Al Makina is a vast walled enclosure built in 1886 under Sultan Moulay Hassan I, between the medina and the new town, according to Médias24. It hosts the major productions every year. The neighboring Jnan Sbil gardens host the afternoon and late-night concerts.
Dates and venues
The festival takes place in Fes, usually in late May or in June. The dates vary from year to year, as does the length: nine days in 2025, four days in 2026. The 2027 dates had not been announced as of mid-October 2026.
The medina of Fes, Fes el-Bali, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. The festival is a good opportunity to explore it in the morning, before the afternoon concerts.
Our advice
Choose accommodation between the medina and Bab Al Makina. You can walk back after the 11 p.m. concerts without depending on a taxi.
Attending the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music
Tickets
Tickets are sold concert by concert on the official festival website, which links to a ticketing page for each performance. In 2026 a full pass cost 3,000 dirhams. Buy early for the evenings at Bab Al Makina, which draw the biggest crowds.
Dress and etiquette
This is contemplative music: stay quiet during recitals and silence your phone. For the open-air night concerts, bring a light jacket.
Entering Morocco and safety
Depending on your nationality, you will enter Morocco visa-free or need to apply for a visa: check your case on our Morocco entry requirements page. With a French passport, entry is visa-free for up to 90 days, with a passport valid for the whole stay.
Fes is not in an area advised against by France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice). As in any big city, keep an eye on your belongings in crowds and in the alleys of the medina. Also check your own government's travel advice.
Watch out
France Diplomatie reports frequent bag snatching in Morocco, especially in Casablanca and Marrakech. In Fes too, when leaving the night concerts, keep your bag and phone out of sight.
To plan the rest of your trip, see our Morocco page and our calendar of festivals in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Should you book seats in advance?
Yes for the evenings at Bab Al Makina and for the headliners. The morning recitals at Dar Adiyel have fewer seats: book them too as soon as the program comes out.
Is the festival held on the same dates every year?
No. It usually takes place between late May and June, and its length varies. Check the dates on the official website early in the year.
Do you have to be religious to enjoy the festival?
No. The festival presents traditions from every religion and is open to all audiences. All you need to do is respect the calm of the concerts.
