Hassan II Park in Rabat is preparing to host the 2026 edition of the Jazz festival organized by the European Union in Rabat. Over three evenings, six European acts and six Moroccan projects will come together for concerts and original collaborations specially created for the event.
This year’s edition will offer audiences the chance to discover bold musical encounters between European jazz and Moroccan music. These collaborations fully reflect the spirit of the festival as a space for dialogue, diversity and shared musical creation.
The opening night will begin with Amara Quartet. The Portuguese all female ensemble offers a contemporary take on fado, combining vocals, accordion, classical guitar and cello. The quartet will join forces with Khalid Kouhen, a Moroccan percussionist and composer whose career has been shaped by a wide range of musical traditions, from Indian tablas to Brazilian percussion.
The evening will continue with Thérapie de Couple, an ensemble of six French and German artists who explore Franco German relations with humor and creativity. The sextet will share the stage with Mohamed El Menjra STVNK Quintet, a project that brings together Moroccan musical heritage, jazz, improvised music and Latin influences.
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The second evening will feature Herak | Bulatkin Quartet. The group draws on Slavic and Roma traditions, impressionist classical music and Balkan rhythms. The quartet will join Hicham Telmoudi, a violinist, composer and arranger known for his work promoting Morocco’s musical heritage.
Belgian group NØ Steam will then bring jazz, funk and hip hop together. Its sound will meet that of Sara Moullablad Quartet, a project blending Moroccan Darija, jazz, Brazilian samba and chaabi influences.
The closing night will put the spotlight on Ulrich Drechsler’s Azure Trio. The Austrian group champions a “jazz to dance to,” drawing on club music and powerful improvisation. The trio will meet Younès Fakhar “Tamzaj” Quartet, a project built around a dialogue between Moroccan heritage and world music.
The festival will also close with Antonio Lizana Quintet and Abir El Abed Sextet. Antonio Lizana Quintet is a major name on Spain’s flamenco jazz scene. Drawing on Arab Andalusian traditions, flamenco, blues and Gnawa sounds, the two acts will come together for a performance centered on dialogue between cultures.
Beyond the concerts at the Hassan II Park amphitheater, Jazz à Rabat will also offer two masterclasses at Les Étoiles de Sidi Moumen cultural center. The sessions are designed as opportunities for learning, exchange and hands on practice around jazz and its encounters with other musical traditions.
On Friday, September 25, German saxophonist Daniel Erdmann will lead a masterclass from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. entitled “Freedom, Jazz and Improvisation.” From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., M’hamed El Menjra will lead a second session entitled “Jazz and Moroccan Music: An Approach to Fusion.”
The festival runs from September 24 to 26, 2026, at the Hassan II Park amphitheater in Rabat, starting at 7:30 p.m.
Young people under 26 can buy tickets for 30 dirhams, while adult tickets cost 80 dirhams. Tickets are available through ticket.ma.
The Lineup
Thursday, September 24
7:30 p.m.: Amara Quartet
8:10 p.m.: Collaboration: Khalid Kouhen × Amara Quartet
8:50 p.m.: Thérapie de Couple
9:20 p.m.: Mohamed El Menjra STVNK Quintet
9:50 p.m.: Collaboration: Thérapie de Couple × Mohamed El Menjra STVNK Quintet
Friday, September 25
7:30 p.m.: Herak | Bulatkin Quartet
8:10 p.m.: Collaboration: Hicham Telmoudi × Herak | Bulatkin Quartet
8:50 p.m.: NØ Steam
9:20 p.m.: Sara Moullablad Quartet
9:50 p.m.: Collaboration: Sara Moullablad Quartet × NØ Steam
Saturday, September 26
7:30 p.m.: Ulrich Drechsler’s Azure Trio
8:10 p.m.: Collaboration: Younès Fakhar “Tamzaj” Quartet × Ulrich Drechsler’s Azure Trio
8:50 p.m.: Antonio Lizana Quintet
9:20 p.m.: Abir El Abed Sextet
9:50 p.m.: Collaboration: Abir El Abed Sextet × Antonio Lizana Quintet
