MOGA Festival is returning to Essaouira for its 10th anniversary, with free events across the city before the main festival starts. The festival will run from 30 September to 4 October 2026. MOGA OFF will take place on 30 September and 1 October, with free events at venues and public spaces across Essaouira. The ticketed MOGA IN programme will run from 2 to 4 October at the Hôtel Le Golf d’Essaouira & Spa.
The free programme will include 51 events and 30 activities across 18 venues and 32 local hotspots.
People can attend DJ sets, dance performances, vinyl workshops, Gnaoua performances, cooking sessions, yoga, sound healing and surfing activities. There will also be workshops on making guembri, a traditional Moroccan instrument.
Two free concerts will take place at the historic Sqala.
The main festival will feature four stages and artists including Jamie Jones, ANOTR and The Martinez Brothers. Moroccan DJs Amine K and Daox will perform a back-to-back set. Local collectives including Hush Hush, Supervibe, Cartoon and LVR will also join the line-up.
MOGA is also launching MOGA PRO, a new programme aimed at helping people build careers in electronic music.
The MOGA Academy, developed with Association 4S and supported by the British Council, will offer training in cultural project management, DJing and music production.
The Essaouira Dance Summit will take place at Dar Souiri on 1 October. The event will look at how local artists can reach international stages, build sustainable careers and find new ways to earn money.
MOGA has also become an important source of business for Essaouira. A study by consultancy K&Co found that the festival generated 51.5m MAD ($5.2m) in economic activity.
The 2025 edition attracted 15,000 unique visitors across MOGA IN and MOGA OFF. It also supported 1,404 direct and indirect jobs in areas including hospitality, logistics, production and crafts.
More than 35% of visitors stayed longer than the festival dates. Hotels, riads and guesthouses in Essaouira reached capacity during the event.
MOGA started in Essaouira in 2016. It later expanded to Caparica in Portugal in 2021 and Cap de Creus in Spain in 2025.
The festival is also planning its first edition in Bahia, Brazil, in November 2027.
“Our industry has hit a point where artist booking fees and production costs are climbing… At its heart, MOGA is a nomadic community festival balancing risk with local integration and culture,” said MOGA co-founder Matthieu Corosine.
MOGA co-founder Antoine Barbier said: “We wanted to create a cross-cultural exchange between ocean-facing cultures—connected by the Atlantic, food-oriented, with strong creative character and open communities.”
The full programme for the 2026 edition will be published on MOGA’s website and social media channels.
