Medina of Fez hosts Sufi Culture Festival 17-24 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 01:36 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Medina of Fez (Fes el-Bali) hosts the Festival of Sufi Culture and World Wisdom from 17 to 24 October 2026, bringing concerts, poetry and discussions to Fez in Morocco. The 18th edition is centred on the theme mystical poetry, an elixir of healing, and places the living medina alongside a programme devoted to spirituality and cultural exchange.
Fez hosts the Sufi Culture Festival from 17 October
The festival organiser says the 18th edition runs from 17 to 24 October 2026. Its programme is built around Sufi concerts, conferences, literary encounters and artistic performances involving thinkers, musicians and spiritual figures from different countries.
The organiser's current programme notice says that detailed items will be published across the festival website and may be modified. A separate cultural listing confirms the period and identifies several venues in Fez, while the festival's own announcement gives the theme in French as mystical poetry, elixir of healing. The dates therefore provide a clear autumn event for visitors, but not yet a final day-by-day schedule for every performance. The festival programme announcement carries the 17 to 24 October 2026 dates.
How the festival connects with the Medina of Fez
The event is presented as a festival across Fez, with the medina forming its central setting. The operator of the Mayfez riad describes the festival as taking place in the medina and lists palaces, gardens and riads among the spaces used for its concerts, talks and artistic activity.
That setting has a long historical frame. UNESCO says Fez was founded in the ninth century and reached its height in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries under the Marinids. The organisation also records that the ancient town, identified as Fez el-bali, grew to its present size under the Almohads, while a newer town was founded to its west in 1276. The UNESCO description of the medina records its historic urban fabric, including madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains.
The connection between the event and the place is practical as well as thematic: a festival about spiritual poetry is scheduled within the historic urban landscape that UNESCO describes as Morocco's cultural and spiritual centre. The medina's buildings and public spaces are therefore part of the visitor context rather than a backdrop added to a single concert.
What is confirmed for the October programme
The official announcement confirms the festival dates and theme, while the organiser's reservation pages list concerts, round tables and exhibitions during the eight-day programme. Published listings include events connected with Jnan Sbil and Bab El Makina, although the full schedule remains subject to updates.
The festival is organised by the Association du Festival de Fès de la Culture Soufie. The organiser's website also identifies cultural and public partners, including the Ministry of Culture, regional authorities and the municipality of Fez. These partnerships distinguish the programme from a private tour or a commercial activity inside the old city.
Visiting Medina of Fez: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Festival of Sufi Culture and World Wisdom runs from 17 to 24 October 2026 in Fez, with events scheduled across venues connected with the medina.
- The festival includes concerts, conferences, literary encounters and artistic performances, but the organiser says the programme may be modified and the complete schedule should be checked before attending.
- The Medina of Fez is in Fez, Morocco. UNESCO describes the property as an ancient urban area whose historic boundaries include the city fabric and walls.
- Visitors should expect an old urban environment of narrow lanes, historic monuments, souks and unpaved spaces. UNESCO describes the medina as a dense historic town with religious, civil and military buildings.
- Arabic and Amazigh are Morocco's official languages, and the national currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Medina of Fez
When does the Sufi Culture Festival take place at the Medina of Fez?
The Festival of Sufi Culture and World Wisdom takes place from 17 to 24 October 2026. It is the festival's 18th edition.
What is the Medina of Fez?
It is the historic urban area of Fez described by UNESCO as a major cultural and spiritual centre of Morocco. Its fabric includes madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques and fountains.
Where is the Medina of Fez and how do you get there?
The medina is in Fez, Morocco, within the historic city walls. The festival uses several venues in Fez, so the exact location depends on the programme item published for each date.
