The 27th edition of Jazz au Chellah marks a turning point in the festival's history. Now renamed Jazz à Rabat and relocated to the amphitheater of Parc Hassan II, the event will be held in the heart of the capital from September 25 to 27, 2025, starting at 8 p.m. Over three evenings, audiences will enjoy concerts born from collaborations between European and Moroccan musicians, complemented by street performances and participatory workshops. The festival opens on Thursday, September 25, with the Greek-German ensemble Tania Giannouli Trio, whose contemporary Mediterranean sound blends piano, oud, and trumpet. They will be joined by Moroccan percussion master Abdelfettah Houssaini for a creation that fuses oriental and European jazz influences. The evening will continue with the Céline Bonacina Quartet – JUMP!, featuring Moroccan musicians Hamza Bennani Smires and Driss Nigra, in what organizers describe as «a trumpet-oud duo exploring Moroccan jazz fusion». On Friday, September 26, the rising star of Catalan jazz, Alba Careta Group, will perform alongside Tangier's Jazz'in Trio, known for blending jazz, flamenco, and oriental traditions. Later, Hungarian artists Sara Bolyki & Petra Várallyay will combine voice, violin, piano, and charango in collaboration with Tchubi Sextet, a young Moroccan group led by rapper Tchubi, bringing together jazz and urban groove. The festival concludes on Saturday, September 27, with Swedish singer Lina Nyberg and her quartet, sharing the stage with the Moroccan rock-gnaoua band Bab L'bluz. The closing performance will feature the Belgian trio A.M.E. (clarinet, cello, piano) and Mehdi Qamoum's quartet, which weaves Amazigh traditions into a world music framework. Beyond the main stage, jazz will spill into the streets through public performances, while two open workshops will offer opportunities for musical exploration. On Friday, September 26 in Rabat, drummer Stéphane Galland will lead a percussion-focused workshop. On Sunday, September 28 in Casablanca, rapper Tchubi, saxophonist Axel Camil, and drummer Adil Hanin will host a collective creation workshop. Jazz à Rabat is organized by the European Union in Morocco, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication and the Wilaya of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra.
