Understanding the significance of the Gnaoua World Music Festival

‘Mark your calendar’, said a Moroccan friend of my son in Dubai recently. ‘If you do nothing else this Summer, try and get along to the Gnaoua World Music Festival which is held in Essaouira, Morocco’.

Essaouira’s medina, with its active fishing fleet, is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it serves as the backdrop for the festival, I was informed. The town’s historic ambiance, combined with its alluring coastal scenery, is bound to create an inviting atmosphere for festival-goers.

I had been to the charming, walled old city of Essaouira one year, when chilly April winds were blowing in from the Atlantic, but not only had I never heard of this festival, I was intrigued to discover more about it and its remarkable origins. The festival itself headlines between 19^th and 21^st June and draws in up to half a million festival goers – many from across the globe. It can trace its modern-day origins to relatively recently – to 1998 to be precise – and was founded by Moroccan entrepreneur, Neila Tazi and her A3 Groupe, which is a private event-organising company based in Casablanca. But it roots go way, way deeper, certainly deeper than most music festivals in America and Europe.

It has sometimes been touted as an “African Woodstock”, and yet the Essaouira Gnaoua and World Music Festival is about more than just the music. And more to the point, unlike Woodstock, which happened just once (and 40 miles away from the town of Woodstock, in Bethel Woods in up-State New York), the Gnaoua takes place annually. And given how expensive festivals can be, there is an added attraction that many performances can be attended for free. It brings together indigenous Gnaoua musicians with renowned artists from all over the world, the festival celebrates the importance of music as a tool to preserve heritage and culture. 

Gnaoua can also mean ‘Gnawa’ which refers to a set of musical events, performances and therapeutic rituals that mix the secular with the sacred. It is first and foremost rooted in Sufi music combined with lyrics with a generally religious content, invoking ancestors and spirits, so it actually draws from across the Maghreb as well as the wider West African region. Originally practised by groups and individuals from the time of slavery and to the slave trade in the 16th century, ‘Gnawa’ culture is now considered as part of Morocco’s living culture.

So, what can festival goers expect this year?  The tourist information sites give a clue; ‘The line-up for the Gnaoua World Music Festival 2025 promises an exciting mix of traditional Gnaoua music, jazz, blues, and other world music genres.

Previous festivals have featured a diverse range of performers, from traditional Gnaoua masters to acclaimed jazz and blues artists’. This year, festival goers are told that; ‘they can look forward to a dynamic blend of these styles, creating a truly unique musical experience’.

To which it should be added that unlike many other festivals, the actual line up of performers tends to be announced closer to the event.

So, there we have it. I won’t have much of an excuse not to be there, will you?

*Mark Seddon is a former Speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban ki moon & former Adviser to the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly