Tunis Medina hosts Oud Festival from 16 to 24 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 00:42 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
The Tunis Medina (MĂ©dina de Tunis) is hosting the fourth Oud Festival from 16 to 24 October 2026 in Tunis, Tunisia. The programme brings concerts, workshops, a competition and discussions about Tunisian, Arab and eastern oud music to cultural spaces in and around the historic quarter.
Oud Festival brings nine days of music to Tunis Medina
Organised by the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club under the auspices of Tunisia’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the festival began on 16 October 2026 at the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club. The opening included a display of Tunisian and eastern ouds, a live workshop on instrument making and a concert by Ziad Gharsa, as La Presse reported.
The published programme continues with an oud competition on 17 October 2026 and a day devoted to Tunisian oud music at Dar El Oud Ettounsi on 18 October 2026. Further concerts and meetings are scheduled through 23 October 2026, while the closing concert by the Palestinian Trio Joubran is set for 24 October 2026 at the Opera Theatre of Tunis Culture City. The full schedule is listed by Tekiano’s programme page.
Historic streets frame the Oud Festival programme
The festival’s link with the old quarter is more than a venue reference. Its Tahar Haddad events place an instrument associated with Arab musical traditions inside a historic urban fabric that UNESCO describes as a meeting point between the Maghreb, southern Europe and the East.
UNESCO says the World Heritage property covers approximately 280 hectares. It includes the central eighth-century medina, northern and southern suburbs from the thirteenth century, and about 700 historic monuments, including mosques, palaces, gates, souqs and the El Attarine military barracks. The heritage profile is set out by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
That setting gives the 18 October 2026 oud-focused day a specific connection to place: the festival’s subject is presented within one of North Africa’s historic Islamic city ensembles, rather than in a detached concert venue.
What the festival adds to a UNESCO World Heritage quarter
The Tunis Medina has been associated with the development of Tunis from the early Islamic period and retains narrow streets, markets, residential quarters, monuments and gates. UNESCO records the site’s inscription on the World Heritage List and notes national protection for historic monuments, streets and a square.
The Oud Festival also moves between locations beyond the quarter. The schedule names Dar El Oud Ettounsi, Dar Lasram, the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club and venues at Tunis Culture City, with the final concert on 24 October 2026 extending the programme into the wider cultural landscape of Tunis.
Visiting Tunis Medina: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Oud Festival runs from 16 to 24 October 2026. The Tahar Haddad Cultural Club in the Tunis Medina is named as the opening venue, while the closing concert is scheduled for 24 October 2026 at the Opera Theatre of Tunis Culture City.
- The programme includes concerts, workshops, an oud competition and discussions. The 18 October 2026 programme is devoted to Tunisian oud music at Dar El Oud Ettounsi.
- The site is in Tunis, in north-eastern Tunisia and a few kilometres from the sea. UNESCO identifies the central medina, its northern and southern suburbs, gates and souqs as parts of the World Heritage property.
- Visitors should expect a dense historic quarter with narrow, twisting streets, souqs, residential lanes and monumental buildings. These are permanent features of the urban fabric, not temporary festival installations.
- Arabic and French are widely used in Tunisia, and the national currency is the Tunisian dinar.
- 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 Tunis Medina
When does the Oud Festival take place at Tunis Medina?
The festival runs from 16 to 24 October 2026. Its programme includes concerts, workshops, a competition and discussions about oud music.
What is Tunis Medina?
It is the historic urban centre of Tunis and a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO describes a property with about 700 historic monuments and a central area dating from the eighth century.
Where is Tunis Medina and how do you get there?
It is in Tunis, Tunisia, in the north-eastern part of the country and a few kilometres from the sea. The festival programme names the Tahar Haddad Cultural Club as an opening venue within the historic quarter.
