Essaouira’s Spring Classical Music Festival

Every year in April, the Moroccan port city of Essaouira holds one of its many annual festivals. The Spring Festival is called the “Printemps Musical des Alizés” (the Musical Springtime of the Trade Winds). As well as featuring international and Moroccan artists of classical music genres, the festival celebrates the coming of Spring and the trade winds which have brought Essaouira its maritime fortune in past times. The festival in Essaouira also coincides with the Spring season of local religious festivals and pilgrimages of both the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

As with the other festivals through the Essaouira calendar (such as the Gnaoua Festival in summer and the Andalusian Festival in Fall), the activities are centered on Dar Souiri, a lovingly restored 18th century merchant’s house and warehouse in the UNESCO-classified historical medina (old city) of Essaouira. Today, it is a cultural and community center and houses a library, meeting and exhibition space as well as being the home of several festivals. The events at Dar Souiri and elsewhere during the Alizés Festival are typically free, although it is worth arriving early to ensure a seat!