Bahia Palace hosts photography festival opening on 7 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 08:05 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Bahia Palace in Marrakesh will host the opening of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech on 7 October 2026, with the exhibition Crossed Gazes: China/Morocco at Palais Bahia. The six-day? No, four-day festival runs from 7 to 10 October, while its exhibitions continue until 30 November.
Photography festival opens at Bahia Palace on 7 October
The official programme places the festival's Grand Opening Night and vernissage at Bahia Palace at 6pm on 7 October 2026. The event marks the sixth edition of the Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech, whose 2026 theme is Two Centuries of Light.
The palace exhibition brings together Chinese photographer Qi Hao and Moroccan photographer Noureddine El Warari. Crossed Gazes: China/Morocco follows an artistic exchange between Morocco and China, including work connected with Ningbo and Shanghai. The exhibition is curated by Abdellah Oustad and presents photographs produced through reciprocal journeys between the two countries. The official 2026 programme also lists Cynthia Cooper's Silk Road, Road of the Heart as part of the opening presentation.
The wider festival programme extends across several Marrakech venues. It includes a laureates showcase at Meydene on 7 October, portfolio reviews at the Musée de l'art Culinaire Marocain on 8 and 9 October, and exhibitions at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, Sofitel and Mövenpick Marrakech. A finalists showcase, a Moroccan diaspora presentation and the Yzza Slaoui Discovery Prize ceremony are scheduled for 9 October at Meydene. The festival announcement confirms the dates and the palace venue.
Bahia Palace connects Marrakesh heritage with new photography
The event gives the palace a specific role rather than using it only as a backdrop. Its rooms will present images shaped by travel between China and Morocco, placing a contemporary cross-cultural project within one of Marrakesh's recognised heritage sites.
Morocco's national heritage portal lists Bahia Palace under tangible heritage and identifies it as a cultural site of Marrakesh. The photography programme adds a temporary artistic layer to that status: visitors attending the 7 October vernissage will encounter both the building and an exhibition about reciprocal views of landscapes, cities and daily life.
Other exhibitions in the festival move through different forms of photographic memory. Cooper's project follows routes from the Black Sea towards Central Asia, the Sahara and China, while later festival events examine music, cinema, architecture and archaeological memory. The palace presentation therefore forms one part of a city-wide programme, with the opening exhibition remaining relevant after the central festival dates.
Visiting Bahia Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The palace programme begins with the vernissage of Crossed Gazes: China/Morocco at 6pm on 7 October 2026. The Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech runs from 7 to 10 October 2026, and exhibitions continue until 30 November 2026.
- Admission to the festival is listed as free by the event information published for the 2026 programme. The palace is the venue for the opening-night exhibition, while other events use separate locations across Marrakesh.
- Bahia Palace is in Marrakesh, Morocco. The festival's other venues include Meydene in M Avenue, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Musée de l'art Culinaire Marocain, Sofitel Marrakech and Mövenpick Marrakech.
- The programme is spread across several venues, so the palace visit should be planned specifically around the 7 October opening rather than treated as the location for every festival event.
- Morocco's official language is Arabic, and its national currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Bahia Palace
When does the photography festival take place at Bahia Palace?
The Rencontres de la Photographie de Marrakech runs from 7 to 10 October 2026, with its opening vernissage at Bahia Palace on 7 October 2026.
What is shown at Bahia Palace during the festival?
Crossed Gazes: China/Morocco brings together Qi Hao and Noureddine El Warari in an exhibition about artistic exchange between China and Morocco.
Where is Bahia Palace and how do you get there?
Bahia Palace is in Marrakesh, Morocco, and forms one venue in a wider city programme that also includes Meydene, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and other named cultural sites.
