How to read this calendar
Two kinds of dates coexist in Marrakech. Festivals and sporting events follow the Gregorian calendar: organisers set their dates, sometimes a year ahead, sometimes only a few weeks before. Religious festivals follow the lunar Hijri calendar: they move forward by about eleven days each year, and the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs only confirms them the evening before, after the new crescent moon has been sighted. The religious dates given here are therefore forecasts and may shift by a day.
When an edition had not been announced by 1 October 2026, this guide gives the usual period. Practical details for each festival are on its own page.
October to December 2026: an autumn of major events
October: air show and Unity Day
From 7 to 10 October 2026, Marrakech's military air base hosts the 8th Marrakech Air Show, an aerospace and defence fair. It is a trade event, with exhibitors and official delegations, not a public festival; it matters to you mainly because it fills part of the city's large hotels that week.
31 October is now a national public holiday: Unity Day (Aïd Al Wahda), created by royal decision and added to the official calendar in January 2026. Government offices and banks close; monuments and souks generally stay open.
November: film festival and national holidays
The Marrakech International Film Festival holds its 23rd edition from 20 to 28 November 2026 at the Palais des Congrès in Hivernage. Screenings are free and open to all while seats last; the programme is published in early November on the festival's official website. The festival page details the venues and how screenings work.
Two public holidays fall in the same month: Green March Day on 6 November and Independence Day on 18 November. Flags and official ceremonies, with little disruption for visitors.
December: the holiday season
December has no major festival, but the Christmas holidays and New Year's Eve fill riads and hotels from around 20 December. Our guide to Christmas and New Year in Marrakech covers the parties and tips for this period.
January to March 2027: marathon, Ramadan and African art
January: Yennayer and the marathon
1 January, 11 January (anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence) and 14 January are public holidays. 14 January is Yennayer, the Amazigh New Year, a public holiday since 2024: it is celebrated mostly at home over a family meal rather than in the streets.
On Sunday 31 January 2027, the 37th Marrakech International Marathon starts in the morning from Avenue de la Ménara, with a half marathon the same day and a 5 km race the day before. To run, register online with the organisers; to cheer the runners, simply stand along the ramparts. Streets on the route are closed to traffic in the morning, so plan any airport transfer accordingly.
February and March: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February and end around 9 March, with Eid al-Fitr expected around 10 March. The city then lives to the rhythm of the fast: quieter days, shorter hours at some sites, very lively evenings after the fast is broken. Practical advice is gathered in our guide to Ramadan in Marrakech.
March: the 1-54 art fair
The 1-54 art fair, devoted to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, takes place at La Mamounia hotel from 18 to 21 March 2027. The first two days are reserved for professionals and the press; the public is admitted on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March, with a ticket bought on the official 1-54 website. Associated exhibitions open at the same time in the city's galleries and museums.
April to June 2027: tennis, Eid al-Adha and comedy
April: the Grand Prix Hassan II tennis tournament
The Grand Prix Hassan II, a men's ATP 250 tournament, is played at the Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech. The 40th edition ran from 30 March to 5 April 2026, preceded by an exhibition match on Jemaa el-Fna square. The 2027 dates have not been published; the tournament is usually held in late March or early April.
The rallies often associated with Morocco do not pass through the city: the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, for example, runs from 20 March to 3 April 2027 in the southern desert and finishes in Essaouira.
May: Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha, the great feast of sacrifice, is expected around 16 or 17 May 2027. It is the year's major family celebration: some shops and restaurants in the medina close for a few days, and trains, coaches and domestic flights are packed in the days before. Avoid planning an excursion or a coach journey then.
June: Marrakech Comedy Festival and Gnaoua in Essaouira
Marrakech du Rire, created by Jamel Debbouze, gave way in 2026 to the Marrakech Comedy Festival, led by comedian Malik Bentalha. Its first edition was held from 4 to 6 June 2026 at the Palais des Congrès, with an Arabic-language show followed by two French-language galas. The 2027 edition has not yet been announced; if it goes ahead, expect a date in early June. In 2026, gala tickets were sold online.
The Gnaoua and World Music Festival is not held in Marrakech but in Essaouira, about three hours away by road. Its 27th edition took place from 25 to 27 June 2026; it usually returns in June, with large free open-air stages.
The Islamic New Year is expected around 6 June 2027; it is a public holiday but barely noticeable for travellers.
July to September 2027: a summer of folk arts
July: folk arts and Throne Day
The National Folk Arts Festival brings together music and dance troupes from every region of Morocco. Its 55th edition ran from 2 to 6 July 2026; the next one has not been announced, but the last two were held in early July. On the first evening, a free parade leaves Avenue Mohammed V and passes through Jemaa el-Fna; the ticketed evening shows take place in the courtyard of the El Badi Palace, with tickets sold online.
On 30 July, Throne Day marks the anniversary of King Mohammed VI's accession: a public holiday, with flags and illuminations. July is also the hottest month; our guide to Marrakech in summer explains how to plan your days.
August: Mawlid and national holidays
August has several public holidays: Oued Eddahab Allegiance Day on 14 August, the Revolution of the King and the People on 20 August and Youth Day on 21 August. Mawlid, the Prophet's birthday, is expected around 15 August 2027; it is celebrated in mosques and zawiyas, and at home.
September: electronic music in Agafay
The Oasis electronic music festival took a break in 2025, then announced its return in September 2026 as a multi-day camp in the Agafay desert, with packages combining entry and tented accommodation. No 2027 edition has been announced.
Venues to watch all year round
Outside festivals, shows are announced at short notice. The Royal Theatre of Marrakech, designed by Charles Boccara opposite the railway station, has a 1,200-seat open-air amphitheatre that occasionally hosts concerts and shows; its opera hall never opened and completion works were relaunched in 2025. The Palais des Congrès in Hivernage hosts the big galas, such as those of the comedy festival.
The Marrakech Biennale, which held six editions between 2005 and 2016, has not taken place since the edition planned for 2018 was cancelled: do not look for it in your calendar. For dinner shows and Gnaoua music available every night, see our guide to shows in Marrakech.
Prices and crowds: what events change
These events do not all affect your stay in the same way.
- The most expensive periods: film festival week, especially for Hivernage hotels near the Palais des Congrès; marathon weekend; the Christmas and New Year holidays; European spring school holidays, which often overlap with the 1-54 fair. Book two to three months ahead for these dates.
- Religious festivals: during Ramadan, prices often fall and tourist numbers drop. Around Eid al-Adha, it is transport that gets saturated, not hotels.
- National public holidays: they close government offices and banks, rarely monuments, and draw Moroccan visitors over long weekends.
- Summer festivals: in early July, demand rises around the medina during the folk arts festival, but the heat keeps prices moderate.
To choose your dates according to the weather, see our guide to the best time to visit Marrakech.
The calendar month by month
| Month | Event | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | Marrakech Air Show, Unity Day | 7 to 10 October, 31 October | Military air base, citywide |
| November 2026 | International Film Festival, Green March Day, Independence Day | 20 to 28 November, 6 and 18 November | Palais des Congrès, citywide |
| December 2026 | Christmas and New Year | Late December | Hotels and riads |
| January 2027 | Yennayer, international marathon | 14 January, Sunday 31 January | Citywide, Avenue de la Ménara |
| February 2027 | Start of Ramadan | Around 8 February | Citywide |
| March 2027 | Eid al-Fitr, 1-54 art fair | Around 10 March, 18 to 21 March | Citywide, La Mamounia |
| April 2027 | Grand Prix Hassan II tennis | Usually late March or early April | Royal Tennis Club |
| May 2027 | Eid al-Adha | Around 16 or 17 May | Citywide |
| June 2027 | Comedy Festival, Gnaoua in Essaouira, Islamic New Year | Usually June, around 6 June | Palais des Congrès, Essaouira |
| July 2027 | National Folk Arts Festival, Throne Day | Usually early July, 30 July | El Badi Palace, citywide |
| August 2027 | Mawlid, national holidays | Around 15 August, 14, 20 and 21 August | Citywide |
| September 2027 | Oasis Festival | No edition announced | Agafay desert |
Dates checked in October 2026; religious festivals may shift by a day.
Further reading
Once your dates are set, pick a neighbourhood suited to the event you are after with our guide on where to stay in Marrakech: Hivernage for the film festival, the medina for the folk arts festival. To enjoy the evenings outside festival time, our guide to Marrakech at night covers terraces, concerts and dinner shows.
