Jazz à Rabat Runs Three Nights in Morocco from 24 September 2026
MOROCCO · MUSIC
Key Facts
- —The dates The festival runs on 24, 25 and 26 September 2026.
- —The venue It is held at the amphitheatre of the Parc Hassan II, on Avenue Mohammed VI in Rabat.
- —The format Each evening pairs a European ensemble with a Moroccan act, then puts them on stage together.
- —Timing Music starts at 7.30 p.m. and the evenings run to around midnight.
- —Tickets Entry is listed at MAD 80, roughly US$8 at the rate published on 18 September 2026.
Jazz à Rabat pairs European and Moroccan musicians and then makes them play together. This is the 28th edition.
What Is Confirmed
Jazz à Rabat runs in Rabat, Morocco on 24, 25 and 26 September 2026. It is the 28th edition of a festival created and supported by the European Union delegation in the country.
The venue is the amphitheatre of the Parc Hassan II, on Avenue Mohammed VI. Music starts at 7.30 p.m. and the evenings run to around midnight.
Six European ensembles are paired with six Moroccan acts, one pairing after another, with a joint set closing each evening.
Entry is listed at MAD 80. At 9.49 dirhams to the dollar, published by open.er-api.com on 18 September 2026, that is about US$8.
The Programme Night by Night
Thursday 24 September opens with the Portuguese Amara Quartet at 7.30 p.m., joined at 8.10 p.m. by the Moroccan percussionist Khalid Kouhen.
The French and German duo Thérapie de Couple follows at 8.50 p.m., then the Moroccan Mohamed El Menjra STVNK Quintet at 9.20 p.m. Both groups play together at 9.50 p.m.
Friday 25 September opens with the Herak and Bulatkin Quartet, working from Balkan traditions, then Hicham Telmoudi joins them. The Belgian group NØ Steam and the Sara Moullablad Quartet follow and close the night together.
Saturday 26 September opens with the Austrian Azure Trio led by Ulrich Drechsler, with the Moroccan Tamzaj Quartet of Younès Fakhar. The Spanish Antonio Lizana Quintet and the Abir El Abed Sextet close the festival.
The pattern is the same every night. Two sets, two collaborations, and a final piece nobody has played before.
Why This Festival Is Unusual
The festival used to be called Jazz au Chellah and was held in the Roman and Islamic ruins of Chellah. It moved to the Parc Hassan II and took a new name.
That change put the festival in the middle of the city rather than at an archaeological site outside it. The audience it reaches is different as a result.
The pairing format is the older tradition and it survived the move. Musicians meet, rehearse and then improvise together for one night.
The European Union delegation runs it with Morocco’s culture ministry and the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra regional authority. It is cultural diplomacy with a house band.
Twenty-eight editions is a long run for any festival. It has outlasted most of the European cultural programmes that started alongside it.
What It Means If You Live in Morocco
At about US$8 an evening, this is among the cheapest live music of its quality anywhere in the country.
The Parc Hassan II is central and walkable from much of Rabat. An outdoor amphitheatre in late September is comfortable rather than cold.
A 7.30 p.m. start and a midnight finish is a full evening. Anyone travelling from Casablanca should check the last train rather than assume one.
For foreign residents, the collaborations are the reason to go rather than the headline names. The joint sets do not exist outside this festival.
Rabat’s cultural calendar is thinner than Casablanca’s or Marrakech’s. An event of this length and price is a fixed point in it.
What Is Not Published
Reduced rates were not detailed in the listings seen at the time of writing, though the seller lists a single MAD 80 entry.
Capacity at the amphitheatre was not stated either. The programme is fixed; the room’s limit is not published.
Whether tickets are sold per evening or as a pass is also unclear from the listing.
The programme itself is unusually complete. Six European groups, six Moroccan acts and a timed running order are all published in advance.
That completeness is the useful part for anyone planning a single evening. The running order tells you exactly which collaboration falls on which night.
Weather is the remaining variable at an open-air venue. Late September in Rabat is mild, and rain at that time of year is uncommon rather than impossible.
Whether the pairings are recorded or broadcast has not been said. Previous editions have circulated mostly through audience recordings rather than official releases.
For a festival built on one-off collaborations, that is a real loss. The joint sets exist for one night and then stop existing.
Sources
- European External Action Service — Jazz à Rabat 2026
- L’Opinion — Jazz à Rabat revient du 24 au 26 septembre avec une 28e édition
- CitizOn — Jazz à Rabat 2026, 28e édition
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Jazz à Rabat 2026?
On 24, 25 and 26 September 2026 at the amphitheatre of the Parc Hassan II, Avenue Mohammed VI, Rabat. Music starts at 7.30 p.m.
How much does it cost?
Entry is listed at MAD 80, roughly US$8 at the rate published by open.er-api.com on 18 September 2026.
Who is playing?
Six European ensembles paired with six Moroccan acts, including Amara Quartet with Khalid Kouhen, NØ Steam with the Sara Moullablad Quartet, and Antonio Lizana Quintet with the Abir El Abed Sextet.
Why is it no longer called Jazz au Chellah?
The festival moved from the Chellah site to the Parc Hassan II in the centre of Rabat and was renamed. The pairing format carried over unchanged.
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