Essaouira Medina hosts MOGA OFF from 30 September

Essaouira Medina will host the free MOGA OFF programme from 30 September to 1 October 2026 in Essaouira, Morocco, alongside the city’s anniversary edition of MOGA Festival (Médina d’Essaouira). The event brings electronic music and cultural activities into several historic venues before the ticketed MOGA IN programme moves to Diabat.

MOGA OFF brings free events to Essaouira Medina

MOGA OFF is scheduled for 30 September and 1 October 2026 and is described as free and open to all. The programme includes DJ sets, concerts, workshops, masterclasses, guided visits and activities for children and families, with events distributed across locations in the city.

The organiser’s co-founder told Le360 about MOGA OFF that two free concerts are planned at the Skala, a fortified waterfront site in the medina. The same programme links Moroccan and international artists with established places in Essaouira rather than confining the opening days to a festival compound.

Essaouira Medina links electronic music with its historic walls

UNESCO describes the site as a late-eighteenth-century fortified town built using contemporary European military principles in a North African setting. It was founded as an international trading seaport connecting Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the wider world.

The World Heritage Centre records the town’s walls, urban fabric and port setting as parts of its outstanding universal value. That history gives MOGA OFF a specific setting: the 30 September and 1 October programme places contemporary electronic music beside the Skala, ramparts and streets of a protected Atlantic town. UNESCO’s description of the fortified town identifies the architectural and trading history behind the venue choice.

MOGA Festival separates the medina programme from Diabat

The wider MOGA Festival runs from 30 September to 4 October 2026. After MOGA OFF ends on 1 October, MOGA IN is scheduled for 2 to 4 October at Hôtel Le Golf d’Essaouira & Spa in Diabat, outside the historic centre, with the principal electronic music programme.

The split matters for visitors staying in the old town. The free opening programme is in Essaouira, while the later ticketed dates use a separate hotel venue in Diabat. A programme outline for MOGA Festival lists Jamie Jones on 2 October, The Martinez Brothers on 3 October and ANOTR on 4 October.

Visiting Essaouira Medina: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• MOGA OFF takes place from 30 September to 1 October 2026 at several venues in Essaouira Medina, including two concerts at the Skala.
• The opening programme is free and open to all; MOGA IN runs separately from 2 to 4 October 2026 at Hôtel Le Golf d’Essaouira & Spa in Diabat.
• Essaouira stands on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, and the medina’s historic setting includes fortified walls, a port and the Skala.
• The site is an eighteenth-century fortified town, so visitors encounter historic ramparts and an established urban fabric rather than a purpose-built festival park.
• Morocco’s official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and the 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 Essaouira Medina

When does MOGA OFF take place at Essaouira Medina?

MOGA OFF takes place from 30 September to 1 October 2026, with free events across several venues in Essaouira.

What is Essaouira Medina?

It is an eighteenth-century fortified seaport town in Morocco, recognised by UNESCO for its architecture, urban form and trading history.

Where is Essaouira Medina and how do you get there?

It is in Essaouira on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. The later MOGA IN programme is at Hôtel Le Golf d’Essaouira & Spa in Diabat, separate from the medina.