The 24th edition of the L’Boulevard festival will take place from September 17 to 20 at the R.U.C. stadium in Casablanca, reaffirming its role as a major free celebration of urban and alternative music. Staying true to its mission of discovering new talent, the event will open with its renowned Tremplin competition, which this year will showcase 15 acts selected from among the Kingdom’s most promising emerging artists.
Hailing from Casablanca, Kenitra, Rabat, Berkane, Oujda, Ahfir, Agadir, Salé and Settat, these artists reflect the creative vitality of Morocco’s regions. The competition lineup features seven rap and hip-hop acts—Funk Clan, BrownY Original, Koga, Yuzy, Shinohidden, Strong & Qweta and Dgueulasse Gold—four fusion groups, including Arinass, Oxor, Ighouliden Band and Metrotune, and four rock and metal acts: Anora, Darih, Lixivia and 2min Away. To strengthen its concrete support for young artists, the EAC-L’Boulevard association has increased the Tremplin prize money to 15,000 dirhams for first place and 10,000 dirhams for second place.
On the main stage, the opening day on Thursday will celebrate the dominance of hip-hop with the highly anticipated return of Casablanca rapper Dizzy DROS, joined by emerging artists Figoshin and Bo9al, as well as DJ Fly on the decks.
Friday will be dedicated to fusion and popular sounds, featuring emerging group Rita Nattah, Afro-psychedelic band Bab L’Bluz, artist Issam Kamal and the band Mazagan, returning to the lineup for the first time since 2008.
Saturday will mark the festival’s electric peak with a day dedicated to rock and metal, headlined by Brazilian legends Sepultura. Part of the band’s global farewell tour, Celebrating Life Through Death, the concert marks a historic return 16 years after its memorable first appearance in Casablanca in 2010. The stage will also host French black metal band Sotherion, Casablanca’s Suicide Machine, winners of the Tremplin in 2015, and the Franco-Moroccan hip-hop/punk/ska project Mycose Of You, featuring Samados.
The closing day on Sunday will celebrate contemporary creation and world music, beginning with performances by the six winning acts of the Tremplin competition. The evening will continue with the dub project Zentone, an artistic collaboration between High Tone and Zenzile, the Eastern-influenced rock of Franco-Syrian band Sarāb, and Congolese quintet Kin’Gongolo Kiniata, known for making its own instruments from recycled materials. Electronic performances by Omar Oka and Aziz Konkrite, who will present his audiovisual project Casa Lover, will bring the festival to a close.
Through this lineup, co-founders Hicham Bahou and Mohammed Merhari, known as Momo, highlight the realities of a rapidly changing sector. Hicham Bahou sees the rise of rap as a reflection of direct popular expression, facilitated by its mobility and lighter logistical requirements compared with the heavy financial constraints faced by instrumental groups of six to eight musicians. “We are critically lacking small venues and regional stages where artists can perform regularly and learn the discipline of live performance, away from the easy reliance on playback,” he told Le360.
For his part, Mohammed Merhari recalls the pragmatic philosophy that has allowed the festival to remain flexible, operating without rigid long-term planning but relying instead on an international network built on trust, enabling it to offer prestigious acts to Moroccan audiences free of charge.
