The 27th edition of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival will take place from June 25 to 27, 2026, in Essaouira, bringing together over 400 artists, including 42 maalems. For three days, the city of Alizés transforms into «the beating heart of a musical composition in constant motion».
The Umbra Festival turned from a highly anticipated music event into a full-blown dispute between organizers and attendees after the sudden announcement of its «postponement» on the very evening it was scheduled to take place. Tickets continued to be sold until the last moment, triggering widespread anger and raising the prospect of legal action over the financial and emotional losses suffered by affected festivalgoers.