National Festival of Ahwach Arts: Ouarzazate brings heritage and world rhythms into dialogue

Event. The 14th edition of the National Festival of Ahwach Arts will be held from October 22 to 24, 2026, in Ouarzazate, under the theme "Ahwach Arts and World Rhythms." Nearly a thousand artists are expected to celebrate this major expression of Amazigh heritage through performances, conferences, and workshops dedicated to the preservation and transmission of this traditional art. Ouarzazate is preparing to vibrate to the rhythm of Ahwach. For three days, the city will host the 14th edition of the National Festival of Ahwach Arts, an event dedicated to the promotion of this Moroccan intangible cultural heritage and its openness to artistic expressions from around the world. Organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication – Department of Culture, the province of Ouarzazate, and the Ouarzazate Events association, this event is supported by several institutional partners, including the Ouarzazate Provincial Council, the Communal Council, the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council, and the Moroccan National Tourism Office. This edition will bring together nearly a thousand artists, women and men, representing different regional expressions of Ahwach. This traditional Amazigh art is distinguished by the complementarity of singing, poetry, dance, percussion, and traditional costumes, in a collective expression that testifies to the cultural richness of Moroccan territories. Beyond the performances, the festival offers a diverse program including conferences, training workshops, masterclasses, and cultural and heritage activities. The goal is to highlight the artistic and aesthetic dimensions of Ahwach, while encouraging its preservation and transmission to new generations. The event also intends to foster exchanges between artists, researchers, and heritage actors by creating spaces for dialogue around the practices, knowledge, and know-how linked to this ancestral art. The theme chosen for this 14th edition, "Ahwach Arts and World Rhythms," reflects the desire to put local musical heritage into perspective with other international artistic experiences. This orientation highlights the ability of Ahwach to engage in dialogue with different cultures without losing its identity or roots. The festival also plans to pay tribute to several artistic figures whose careers have contributed to the safeguarding, development, and transmission of this art in different regions of the Kingdom. A recognition of the commitment of those who participate in the continuity of this tradition. Through these various spaces, the event intends to contribute to the cultural influence of the city and the promotion of its historical and tourist assets, while strengthening the cultural dynamics of the Drâa-Tafilalet region. For three days, Ouarzazate will thus be transformed into a space for encounter between tradition and openness, where Ahwach will be celebrated as a living component of the Moroccan collective memory and a vector for dialogue between cultures.