Morocco's Essaouira will host the 18th session of the 2026 Annual Conference of the Creative Cities Network of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN organization announced on Monday.
According to a UNESCO press release, this decision was taken following an online vote by the network's member cities, during which Essaouira garnered the highest number of votes among the candidate cities. Essaouira thus becomes “the first city in Africa and the Arab world to host the Network's annual conference”.
Since its selection in 2019 as a Creative City in the field of music, Essaouira has stood out through “its commitment to the cultural and creative sectors, with a particular focus on music”, the UN institution notes, citing emblematic festivals such as Gnaoua, World Music and Jazz sous l'Arganier (Jazz under the Argan tree) as testimony to the “cultural richness of Essaouira, a crossroads city where local traditions interweave into a profoundly multifaceted identity”.
The annual UNESCO Creative Cities Conference is a major platform for the 350 member cities to “exchange ideas, share best practices and strengthen international cooperation on culture and sustainable urban development”.
According to the same source, the 2026 edition in Essaouira will focus among other topics on the sustainability of policies and actions in favor of the cultural and creative industries at local level. It will also be a unique opportunity to highlight “the rich cultural heritage and vibrant creativity of this Moroccan city”.
UNESCO's collaboration with Essaouira in hosting this conference is part of bolstering and promoting UNESCO's Creative Cities Network. It also serves as a follow-up to the Mondiacult 2025 World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development, as well as a step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, namely SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, the press release concludes.
MAP: 30 June 2025
