Parisians can look forward to an anniversary celebration like no other in mid September. From September 18 to 20, Carreau du Temple, located in the 3rd arrondissement, will put Morocco in the spotlight as its guest of honor to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its festival, organized as part of the 2026 Mediterranean Season.
Gastronomy, music, crafts and culture will come together to showcase Morocco through the lens of its culinary heritage and creative scene. The opening night will set the tone with an “electro gourmet” format combining food and live music, with the aim of presenting a contemporary face of the Kingdom. Throughout the three day festival, visitors will have access to both traditional dishes and more experimental culinary offerings.
The program will feature pop up food venues, a tea room, as well as workshops and masterclasses led by prominent figures from Moroccan cuisine, including chef Fatéma Hal, who will notably give a presentation on the spice ras el hanout. Another speaker and star of Morocco’s culinary scene, chef Abdel Alaoui, will offer his own reinterpretation of the country’s products and recipes. Among the key topics explored will be fermentation, along with a focus on iconic Moroccan products such as olive oil, amlou and pastilla.
A workshop will also be dedicated to couscous, presented here less as a dish than as a vehicle for collective memory. It will serve as a reminder that the richness of Moroccan cuisine lies as much in its techniques and traditions as in its signature dishes.
A Temporary Medina in the Heart of the French Capital
Beyond the food, a genuine Moroccan market will set up shop during the festival. Producers, artisans, illustrators and booksellers will showcase their work. Visitors will find a wide range of olive and argan oils, floral waters and regional products, as well as traditional crafts and more contemporary creations. A bookshop area will highlight Moroccan publishing houses, with meetings and book signing sessions on the program. For a weekend, the event will transform a corner of Paris into a medina.
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Photography will also have a prominent place in this 10th edition. Several artists will present very different perspectives. From Salma Jourani’s colorful pop aesthetic to Yasmine Hatimi’s work on family memory, as well as Denis Dailleux’s photographs captured in the Valley of Roses during the harvest of Damask roses. These contemporary perspectives will be joined by photographs from the archives of the Maison de la Photographie of Marrakech, focusing on the ritual of tea.
The music program will be just as diverse. The opening will bring Retro Cassetta, Samifati & Transe Gnawa Express and Francis Latombe together on stage. The weekend will then feature a concert by Oum, an artist whose work moves between jazz, soul and traditional music, as well as a performance by Gaouta, a leading figure in Morocco’s more alternative music scene, straddling electronic music, cold wave and post punk.
