Jemaa el-Fna Square hosts film screenings from 20 November

Jemaa el-Fna Square in Marrakesh will host open-air screenings during the Marrakech International Film Festival from 20 to 28 November 2026. The programme places the Moroccan city’s best-known public square alongside the festival’s cinema venues for the event’s 23rd edition.

Film festival screenings reach Jemaa el-Fna Square

The festival’s official website confirms the 20 to 28 November 2026 dates and lists open-air screenings at the square among its programme sections. The official festival programme also includes an international competition for first and second feature films, gala screenings, special screenings, a Moroccan cinema panorama and a youth section.

The Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation organises the event. Its stated purpose includes promoting film creation and distribution in Morocco and internationally. The Moroccan Cinematographic Centre lists the festival’s next edition as 20 to 28 November 2026.

The exact titles and screening schedule were not yet published on the festival’s programme page when the dates were checked. That means the square is confirmed as a venue, but individual films and screening times remain dependent on the later programme release.

Why the cinema programme fits the historic square

UNESCO describes Jemaa el-Fna Square as a major cultural space at the entrance to the Medina. It is triangular and surrounded by restaurants, stalls and public buildings, with everyday commercial activity and entertainment.

The square’s cultural identity is closely tied to public performance. UNESCO records storytellers, poets, snake-charmers, Berber musicians, Gnaoua dancers and senthir players among the traditions associated with the site. A film screening therefore adds a temporary cinema use to a place already recognised for shared performances and oral expression.

The cultural space was originally proclaimed in 2001 and inscribed in 2008 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The organisation also says the square has been protected as part of Morocco’s artistic heritage since 1922. These details give the November film programme a setting shaped by both living traditions and formal heritage protection. The UNESCO heritage description identifies the square as one of Marrakesh’s main cultural spaces.

Visiting Jemaa el-Fna Square: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Marrakech International Film Festival runs at Jemaa el-Fna Square and other Marrakesh venues from 20 to 28 November 2026.
• The square is confirmed for open-air screenings, while the individual film titles and screening times are to be published in the festival programme.
• Jemaa el-Fna Square stands at the entrance to Marrakesh’s Medina and is surrounded by restaurants, stalls and public buildings.
• The site is a triangular public square associated with storytellers, poets, musicians, dancers and other performers.
• Morocco’s official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and its 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 Jemaa el-Fna Square

When does the Marrakech International Film Festival take place at Jemaa el-Fna Square?

The 23rd Marrakech International Film Festival runs from 20 to 28 November 2026, with open-air screenings listed for the square.

What is Jemaa el-Fna Square?

It is a triangular public square at the entrance to Marrakesh’s Medina and a cultural space inscribed by UNESCO in 2008.

Where is Jemaa el-Fna Square and how do you get there?

The square is at the entrance to the Medina in Marrakesh, surrounded by restaurants, stalls and public buildings.