The 27th edition of the Jazz à Rabat festival opened Thursday evening (September 25–27, 2025), filling Hassan II Park with the universal rhythms of jazz in all its forms. The Greco-German ensemble Tania Giannouli Trio launched the event with a contemporary Mediterranean sound blending piano, oud, and trumpet. Formerly known as Jazz au Chellah, the festival has been renamed and relocated, reaffirming its role as a platform where music transcends borders. In his opening remarks, the new European Union ambassador to Morocco, Dimiter Tzantchev, stressed that beyond its program, the festival «has become a space for meetings and dialogue». Quoting UNESCO's Director-General on International Jazz Day, he noted that jazz is «a music of peace, woven through encounters between cultures and people». He added: «This message resonates particularly in our current world. The festival is now set in a new venue, in the heart of the capital, here at Hassan II Park, and has taken on a new name». For the ambassador, this evolution reflects the vitality of an event that continuously reinvents itself and is now even more deeply embedded in Rabat's cultural life. That spirit is mirrored in the «demanding yet accessible» program curated by artistic directors Majid Bekkas (Morocco) and Jean-Pierre Bissot (Europe). For his part, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, stressed that Morocco has chosen to make culture, youth, and inclusion key drivers of prosperity, economic growth, and socio-political development, anchored in culture and universal values. The lineup features Catalan rising star Alba Careta Group, who will perform on Friday, September 26, in dialogue with Tangier-based Jazz'in Trio, blending jazz, flamenco, and oriental traditions. Hungarian artists Sara Bolyki & Petra Várallyay will combine voice, violin, piano, and charango, followed by the Tchubi Sextet, a young Moroccan group led by rapper Tchubi. Meanwhile, the city will host a street performance and two open workshops to bring jazz directly to the public. 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.
