Festival Gnaoua

What Festival Gnaoua does

Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde d'Essaouira is an annual world music festival founded in 1998 and held in Essaouira, Morocco. The festival is dedicated to showcasing Gnaoua music, a Moroccan musical tradition inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, alongside broader world music programming. The 27th edition is scheduled for June 25-27, 2026. The 2025 edition featured 33 Maâlems Gnaoua masters alongside international collaborators, serving an audience of music enthusiasts, cultural tourists, industry professionals, and academic researchers.

Name

Festival Gnaoua

Legal name

Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde d'Essaouira

Website

https://festival-gnaoua.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Festival Gnaoua is an annual world music festival founded in 1998 in Essaouira, Morocco, dedicated to Gnaoua and world music traditions. It serves music fans, cultural tourists, and industry professionals through ticketed performances, educational programs, and academic partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music & Cultural Festival

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI)

Keywords

• World music festival
• Gnaoua music heritage
• Cultural music events
• Music fusion concerts
• Cultural tourism events

Headquarters

HQ city

Essaouira

HQ country

Morocco

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from concert and festival attendance tickets sold through the official ticketing platform Guichet.com

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Festival Gnaoua is an annual three-day world music festival held in Essaouira, Morocco, celebrating Gnaoua musical heritage through traditional Maâlem performances and fusion concerts with international artists. The festival includes side programs such as the Forum des Droits Humains, Berklee at Gnaoua educational workshops, The Talking Tree cultural discussions, and the Chair UM6P academic initiative. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales via Guichet.com and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Festival Gnaoua is a single flagship product: an annual world music festival held in Essaouira, Morocco. The festival features traditional Gnaoua concerts, fusion performances blending Gnaoua with jazz, African, electronic, and world music styles, along with side programs including the Forum des Droits de l'Homme (human rights forum), Berklee at Gnaoua (music education partnership), The Talking Tree (cultural discussions), and Chair UM6P (academic program). The 27th edition is scheduled for June 25-27, 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde d'Essaouira Annual three-day world music festival held in Essaouira, Morocco, celebrating Gnaoua music heritage through traditional Maâlem performances and fusion concerts with international artists in genres such as jazz, reggae, African, and electronic music. The 27th edition is scheduled for June 25-27, 2026.
• Forum des Droits de l'Homme d'Essaouira Human rights forum held alongside the festival, exploring themes such as human mobility and cultural dynamics through round tables, lectures, and discussions with international experts. Operated in partnership with the CCME (Conseil de la Communauté Marocaine à l'Étranger).
• Berklee at Gnaoua Music education program operated in partnership with Berklee College of Music, offering workshops, fusion sessions, creation, and performance opportunities with world artists and Gnaoua masters.
• Chair UM6P - Gnaoua Between Singularity and Universality Academic research chair program focused on transitions and the universality of Gnaoua music, organized in partnership with Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P).

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A3 CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial producer and organizer of the Festival Gnaoua et Musiques du Monde, handling event production and management.
• Berklee College of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner running the 'Berklee at Gnaoua and World Music Festival' program, featuring workshops, fusion, creation and performance with world artists. Second edition in 2025.
• UM6P (Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner supporting the festival's academic programs and the 'Chair of Transitions: Gnaoua Between Singularity and Universality' initiative.
• Ministry of Culture (Morocco)coreOthersPrimary institutional supporter of the festival, providing governmental backing for cultural events.
• CIH BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing financial support for the festival.
• Sidi Ali (Oulmes)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage sponsor for the festival.
• VolvominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive sponsor for the festival.
• CDG (Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernmental financial institution sponsor.
• Loterie NationaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational lottery sponsor supporting the festival.
• Air FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAirline sponsor providing travel support for the festival.
• SNRT (Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Moroccan national broadcasting partner covering the festival.
• 2MminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Moroccan television partner for festival coverage.
• Medi1TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner providing television coverage of the festival.
• TV5MondeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational French-language broadcaster and media partner.
• RFIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational French radio broadcaster and media partner.
• France 24minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational news broadcaster and media partner.
• CCME (Conseil de la Communauté Marocaine à l'Étranger)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner supporting the Human Rights Forum program, focusing on human mobility and cultural dynamics.
• Visit MoroccominorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Moroccan tourism promotion partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Festival au Désert: Tuareg music and cultural festival historically held in Mali and now touring internationally. Comparable as an African heritage music festival with cultural preservation mission, international fusion programming, and diplomatic/cultural-tourism positioning.
• Festival Mawazine: Morocco's largest music festival held in Rabat, featuring international and Moroccan artists across multiple genres. Directly comparable as a major Moroccan music festival competing for sponsorship, audiences, and international media attention.
• Oasis Festival: Electronic music festival in Marrakech, Morocco. Comparable as a Morocco-based international music festival with global audience reach, ticketed multi-day format, and corporate sponsorship.
• Jazzablanca: Annual jazz and music festival in Casablanca, Morocco. Comparable as a major Moroccan music festival with international artist programming, corporate sponsorship, and ticketed multi-day format.
• Festival Timitar: World music festival held annually in Agadir, Morocco, focused on Amazigh and Moroccan heritage music. Closely comparable as a Moroccan world music festival with similar cultural heritage preservation mission and fusion programming.
• Tanjazz: Jazz and contemporary music festival in Tangier, Morocco. Comparable as a Moroccan music festival with international artist lineups, ticketed multi-day programming, and corporate sponsorship model.
• Visa for Music: Music industry event in Rabat, Morocco focused on showcasing African and Middle Eastern music. Comparable as a Moroccan music industry event with similar institutional and international partnership profile.
• L'Boulevard: Alternative and urban music festival in Casablanca, Morocco. Comparable as a Moroccan music festival with multi-day format, ticketed access, and youth-oriented cultural programming.

Broad incumbents

• WOMAD: Long-running world music festival network founded by Peter Gabriel. Comparable as a world music festival with heritage music programming, international artist fusion, and educational side programs paralleling Festival Gnaoua's model.

Regional players

• Moga Festival: Electronic and world music festival held in Essaouira, Morocco — same host city as Festival Gnaoua. Comparable as a festival sharing the same venue infrastructure and tourism catchment, but focused on electronic rather than traditional/world music.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GnaouaFestival
• Instagraminstagram.com/gnaouafestival
• TikToktiktok.com/@gnaouafestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/festival-gnaoua

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Festival Gnaoua