Ouarzazate hosted the 14th National Ahwach Arts Festival from October 22 to 24, placing one of southern Morocco’s best-known Amazigh performance traditions at the center of a three-day programme of music, dance, discussion and training.
Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication announced the edition under the theme “Ahwach Arts and Rhythms of the World.” The Ministry said the programme was organized with the Ouarzazate provincial authorities and the Ouarzazate Events Association, with support from local and regional bodies and the Moroccan National Tourist Office.
According to the Ministry’s announcement, about 1,000 women and men artists representing different forms of Ahwach were expected to take part. The programme combined artistic performances with seminars, training workshops, masterclasses and heritage activities. Organizers also planned tributes to figures associated with preserving and developing Ahwach traditions in different parts of Morocco.
Activities were announced for Taourirt Kasbah, Al Mouahidine Square and Ouarzazate’s tourist area. The Ministry presented the festival as a space for artists, researchers and audiences to meet around the safeguarding and intergenerational transmission of a living cultural practice.
Ahwach is not a single uniform style. Its local forms bring together collective rhythm, dance, song and poetry, with performance patterns, clothing and participation varying between communities. The 2026 festival’s theme pointed to exchange with wider musical traditions while keeping the local practice at its center.