From May 16 to 24, the ancient Moroccan city of Fès hosts the 28th edition of its World Sacred Music Festival, a celebration of cultural rebirth and spiritual elevation.
In a world caught between uncertainty and division, the city of Fès offers a rare moment of clarity. For nine days in May, Morocco’s spiritual capital becomes a beacon of beauty, dialogue, and hope through one of its most emblematic events: the Festival of World Sacred Music. This year’s theme, “Renaissances,” sets the tone for an edition that is more than a concert series — it’s a call to rediscover the sacred in ourselves and others.
Since 1994, the festival has embodied the soul of Fès, a city shaped by centuries of coexistence, scholarship, and transcendence. For this 28th edition, the program has been carefully curated by the Esprit de Fès Foundation to echo Morocco’s unwavering commitment to cultural diplomacy and intercultural dialogue. From the rhythms of Africa to the echoes of Italian Renaissance, from Sufi chants to sacred poetry, every performance seeks to build bridges where borders once stood.
The grand opening on May 16 will stage an immersive musical experience titled “Renaissances, from Nature to the Sacred.” Through a poetic sequence of music, light, and ritual, the show will journey from African and Arabian Sufi traditions to the scholarly brilliance of Al-Qarawiyyin and finally to Europe’s artistic awakening, led by the Italian Rinascimento. A powerful metaphor, crafted in sound and symbolism, for the cycles of renewal that bind humanity together.
Italy, guest of honor this year, will be celebrated through a historic cultural partnership between the cities of Fès and Florence. The performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin — conducted jointly by Antonio Greco and Moroccan master Mohammed Briouel — stands as a musical dialogue between the shores of the Mediterranean, a conversation in notes and nuances.
Africa, too, will play a central role, not as a guest but as a spiritual foundation of the festival. From the soul-stirring Deba of Mayotte to the legendary Griots of the Ashanti and Mandinka empires, African artists will share their sacred heritage with audiences from all over the world. Their presence affirms Morocco’s leading role in fostering South-South cultural cooperation.
Beyond music, the festival will once again host its signature Forum, gathering scholars and thinkers to explore this year’s theme through the lens of memory, identity, and imagination. Questions such as “What do renaissances mean for our collective futures?” or “What are the promises and risks of artificial and collective intelligence?” will spark discussions that resonate far beyond the festival walls.
In Fès, Renaissance is not a historical episode — it is a living principle. Every May, the city renews its promise to serve as a sanctuary of spirit, art, and unity. The Festival of World Sacred Music is its heartbeat, a sacred rhythm echoing across time and continents.
