The Umbra Festival turned from a highly anticipated music event into a full-blown dispute between organizers and attendees after the sudden announcement of its «postponement» on the very evening it was scheduled to take place. Tickets continued to be sold until the last moment, triggering widespread anger and raising the prospect of legal action over the financial and emotional losses suffered by affected festivalgoers. DR ‹ › What was meant to be a long-awaited electronic music event in Marrakech ended in frustration and anger for dozens of festivalgoers, following the sudden announcement of the «postponement» of the Umbra Festival on the evening of December 19. Tickets continued to be sold until the last moment, leaving many attendees facing significant financial losses. As a result, several customers have decided to take legal action against both the event organizers and the Tidar platform, which handled ticket sales. Speaking to Yabiladi, several affected individuals expressed strong dissatisfaction, denouncing what they described as «delays, lack of transparency, and evasion of responsibility». «We found out on the day of the festival» Yassine, one of the ticket holders, said he had planned to attend the festival headlined by internationally renowned Turkish DJ Mahmut Orhan, set to perform in Morocco for the first time, alongside Arodes, Alex Wann, and Kenza Kayati. He purchased two tickets for 1,600 dirhams and spent an additional 600 dirhams on accommodation. «We only learned about the cancellation on December 19, the very day the festival was scheduled to take place», he said, noting that tickets were still being sold normally with no warning or alert. Another attendee, Othmane Malki, said he bought his ticket via the Tidar platform around two weeks before the event, also without receiving any prior notification. «We found out about the festival's cancellation on the day it was supposed to happen, through a post on the organizers' Instagram page», he explained. According to Othmane, he and a group of friends had already spent around 5,000 dirhams per person on transport and accommodation. «We received no offer of compensation or refund», he said. «Instead, we received an email from the Umbra Festival organizers and the Tidar platform explicitly refusing any refund or compensation for the amounts paid». Othmane confirmed that the group has decided to pursue collective legal action, arguing that the Tidar platform bears part of the responsibility alongside the organizers. «They sold us tickets for an event that wasn't even authorized», he said. «Our first demand is a full refund, and in court we will also seek damages for the harm caused. We want to put an end to practices that violate the rights of Moroccan consumers». Organizers Say Ban Came at the Last Minute In response to these accusations, a source from the festival's organizing company told Yabiladi that they themselves only received the prohibition order one day before the event. The source cited an official document dated December 18, issued by the head of the Sidi Abdallah Ghiat commune, which Yabiladi has reviewed. According to the organizers, all preparations had already been completed by then, including the arrival of artists and the installation of the stage. The same spokesperson acknowledged that the festival was organized based solely on a verbal agreement with the owner of the venue, the Jardin d'Issil guest house, located along the Ourika. «We received verbal approval from the venue owner, who told us he had also received verbal authorization from the authorities», the source said. «That made us confident we could proceed, only to be surprised by the ban». Several customers reported that organizers initially justified the postponement by citing technical issues related to weather conditions. The organizing body's source confirmed this explanation, adding that authorities considered holding the festival on that date to be «risky». However, the official document reviewed by Yabiladi attributes the prohibition to the organizers' «failure to comply with legal and security requirements», stating that the event posed a threat to public safety and order. The document also warned of legal action in the event of non-compliance and notified the relevant security and judicial authorities. Dispute Over Refunds Continues While customers including Yassine and Othmane insist that refunds were outright refused, the organizing body maintains that the event was postponed to a later date yet to be announced. According to the organizers, attendees who are unable to attend the rescheduled event will be offered refunds once the new date is set. They deny having categorically rejected this option, contradicting the customers' accounts. Regarding Tidar's role, platform founder Amine Benkeroum said they were also caught off guard by the ban. «We only learned about the decision on the same day», he told Yabiladi, stressing that Tidar acts solely as a technical intermediary for ticket sales. «Our entire team traveled to Marrakech and was on site on the day of the festival because everything appeared normal to us». Benkeroum acknowledged that the tickets were sold under terms specifying that they were non-refundable, a condition confirmed by Yabiladi on the platform. However, he said Tidar nevertheless proposed solutions in line with its commitment to «consumer protection», including allowing ticket holders to either attend another event or receive a refund, subject to agreement with the organizers. This claim was disputed by several affected attendees, including Yassine and Othmane, who said the refund option was explicitly rejected and that attempts at an amicable settlement failed. They also accused organizers of continuing ticket sales despite being aware of licensing difficulties, particularly after a previous incident marked by chaos and disorder at the venue entrance. Responding to these accusations, the organizing body said the earlier incident was beyond their control, blaming individuals who used forged tickets purchased on the black market. The organizers said they communicated directly with legitimate ticket holders at the time and offered what they described as satisfactory solutions. The spokesperson concluded by stressing that the organizing company is not new to organizing similar events, noting that this festival would have been the fifteenth in its track record. «Our professional reputation is a top priority», he said, adding that refunds are «only a matter of time». This position, however, continues to be rejected by customers, who say they are determined to pursue legal action to recover their losses.
