The 28th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, whose opening ceremony was chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa on Friday evening, shines a spotlight on Africa's beauty, diversity, vitality, and spirituality.
From the very first moments of the magnificent opening performance on the Bab Makina stage, the African dimension emerged vividly, imbued with rich meaning and aligned with this year’s theme of "Renaissances."
According to a press release from the Esprits de Fès Foundation, the festival celebrates Africa as a fertile land where nature and man are part of an ancient ecology that offers its civilizational model to the world, while illustrating the role of Fez as a spiritual beacon and a hub for cultural and religious renewal movements across the continent.
"We wanted to pay tribute to Africa, a continent whose youth ensures the preservation and celebration of its age-old traditions, the transmission of its heritage for future generations, thus contributing to its cultural renaissance," Abderrafia Zouitene, President of the Foundation stated.
This tribute, further anchores Morocco in its African roots and is in line with Morocco's commitments to South-South cooperation in accordance with the royal vision, he added, as quoted in the press release.
In the days to come, an eclectic program will take audiences on a journey from ecstasy and meditation, celebration and trance. The festival will feature artists from the Maghreb (Morocco) to West Africa (Senegal, Mali, Ghana), East Africa (Burundi), and beyond, including the Indian Ocean (Mayotte), the Caribbean (Haiti), and the wider world of the African diasporas.
The 28th Fez Festival of World Sacred Music is being held from May 16 to 24, under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI under the theme: "Renaissances."
(MAP: 18 May 2025)
