Jazzablanca is back in Casablanca, and the 19th edition is the most ambitious the festival has ever produced, with 50 artists, 3 stages, and 10 straight nights of live music spanning jazz, pop, rock, soul, gnaoua, and hip-hop.
What is Jazzablanca and why does it matter
Jazzablanca was founded in 2006 by the Moroccan production company Seven PM, with the aim of making jazz more accessible and promoting musical diversity. In the years since, it has grown far beyond that original purpose. Fundamentally rooted in jazz values, the festival opens its stages to the big names of pop, soul, rock, funk, world music, and jazz, supported by an eclectic programme that combines international headliners and emerging talents.
As a true urban festival rooted in the city of Casablanca, Jazzablanca embraces urban space and animates the city. Beyond concerts, it is a place for sharing, discovery, and culture, with a purpose to awaken minds and transmit musical passion. Each year, Jazzablanca brings together an audience from all walks of life in a friendly atmosphere, faithful to the spirit of a cosmopolitan, vibrant, and constantly moving city.
A yearly gathering for music lovers in Morocco since 2006, what started as an event primarily aimed at jazz enthusiasts has gradually evolved into a much wider cultural meeting point, pulling together international headliners, regional acts, cult favourites, and genre-bending performers under one banner.
The 2026 format: bigger than ever
The 19th edition of Jazzablanca will take place from July 2 to July 11, 2026, offering 10 days of live concerts and immersive musical experiences in the heart of Casablanca. The 19th edition introduces a major evolution in its format. The festival will host 4 concerts per night at Anfa Park and Arab League Park, split between Stage 21 and the Main Stage.
This rhythm will bring together 50 artists across Anfa Park, where concerts are ticketed, and Parc de la Ligue Arabe, where concerts are free, reinforcing Jazzablanca’s status as one of Morocco’s most dynamic international festivals. Over 10 days, 50 concerts will take place in Casablanca, with performances spread across 3 stages. Anfa Park will host 40 shows, while 10 free performances will take place at Arab League Park, a first in the festival’s history.
Festival visitors will move between stages and enjoy the redesigned Village, the vibrant heart of the festival, which features enhanced scenography, improved comfort, and new discovery spaces. Beyond the stages, Jazzablanca also offers workshops, exhibitions, and culinary pop-ups that reflect the city’s modern identity.
The Jazzablanca lineup: who is performing
The 2026 lineup bridges pop, rock, funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop, and urban influences. From Scorpions’ legendary rock celebrating 60 years of career, to Cory Wong’s modern funk mastery and Jorja Smith’s soulful R&B elegance, Jazzablanca continues to blend generations and genres.
At Anfa Park, the first weekend from Thursday July 2 to Saturday July 4 spotlights international icons. The weekdays from Sunday July 5 to Wednesday July 8 are reserved for discovery and contemporary artists. The second weekend from Thursday July 9 to Saturday July 11 promises the biggest shows of the festival.
On Friday July 10, hip-hop and R&B artist Ms. Lauryn Hill will take the stage alongside Wyclef Jean, YG Marley, and Zion Marley, marking one of the highlights of this edition. The festival closes with a 100% female lineup on Saturday July 11, featuring Jessie J, Madison McFerrin, Hind Ennaira, and Jorja Smith. Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia, born in Casablanca, will make her Morocco debut at the festival.
Expert perspective on Jazzablanca’s cultural role
Jazzablanca has become more than a concert series. It is a cultural platform that positions Casablanca alongside major international music destinations. The festival’s decision to expand free performances at Arab League Park is a significant step toward accessibility, bringing world-class music directly into public urban space. This kind of structural openness reflects a broader shift in how Moroccan cities invest in culture as a driver of identity and civic pride. When a city commits to 10 consecutive nights of music at this scale, it signals real ambition, and Casablanca is delivering on that ambition in a way that resonates well beyond Morocco’s borders.
Industry perspective, cultural events and festival programming professionals in Morocco
The free concerts: Jazzablanca for everyone
The free concerts at Arab League Park begin each evening at 6:00 PM, featuring a mix of contemporary music, jazz, gnaoua, Amazigh repertoires, soul, and experimental sounds. This programme gives the festival a genuinely inclusive dimension. On Thursday July 2, Asmaa Hamzaoui and Bnat Timbouktou open the festivities with traditional gnaoua music.
The Moroccan ensemble Urban Folklore performs on Friday July 3, offering an instrumental mix of jazz, funk, and contemporary music. On Saturday July 4, Sarah Mazigh brings Amazigh, soul, and modern textures to the stage. Tuesday July 7 will see Majid Bekkas, Shabaka Hutchings, and Hamid Drake blend spiritual jazz, contemporary sounds, and gnaoua tradition.
Thursday July 9 showcases the Moroccan band Kel Dades from Boumalne Dades with their Desert Blues. On Friday July 10, the duo Nashwa mixes Moroccan folklore and electronic productions. The festival concludes on Saturday July 11 with Sara Moullablad’s bossa nova rhythms infused with African influences.
Tickets and practical information
This event is open to all ages. Tickets for the ticketed Anfa Park concerts are available through the official festival channels. Passes and single-day tickets are available at jazzablanca.com. It is strongly advisable to book early, as popular nights with major headliners sell out quickly.
The festival takes place at 2 main sites in Casablanca: Anfa Park for ticketed evening concerts, and Parc de la Ligue Arabe for the free early-evening programme. Both venues are well served by road and taxi. Visitors coming from other Moroccan cities can reach Casablanca easily by train on the national ONCF rail network, with the Casablanca Voyageurs station close to the city centre. The festival does not offer camping. Visitors should scroll down on the festival website to find hotels and additional accommodation options near the venues.
Jazzablanca is the reason to visit Casablanca this July
Jazzablanca in 2026 is not simply a music event. It is 10 nights that show exactly what Casablanca can do when it commits fully to culture. The festival shows the world how Morocco brings together tradition and innovation, jazz and gnaoua, and local soul with global sounds. Whether you attend 1 night or all 10, Jazzablanca delivers an experience that stays with you long after the final concert ends.
Plan your visit now, buy your tickets at jazzablanca.com, and be part of Casablanca’s most important cultural moment of the year. Jazzablanca 2026 is ready. The only question is whether you are.
Discover more about Jazzablanca
- Official Jazzablanca 2026 programme and tickets
- Jazzablanca 2026 lineup and festival guide, Music Festival Wizard
- Jazzablanca 2026 brings world music icons to Casablanca, Yabiladi
