Medina & Jemaa el-Fna
The medina is a living urban fabric of markets, crafts, religious architecture, riads and public performance, with Jemaa el-Fna as its best-known gathering point.
Marrakech cultural city guide
Things to Do in Marrakech — Culture, Events & Places
Marrakech connects living heritage, popular arts, museums, galleries, photography, cinema and contemporary creation. This guide highlights events and cultural spaces that help visitors and residents move beyond the most familiar tourist routes.
Use this living guide to discover what is happening in Marrakech this week, where to go for art and heritage, and how to build a cultural route beyond the usual visitor circuit.
Live cultural calendar
Coming up in Marrakech
No translated event currently falls inside the next seven days, so here are the next published events.
Marché
Good Food Market at the Institut français de Marrakech
19 Sept · Institut français de Marrakech
A monthly market for responsibly grown food and agroecology at the Institut français de Marrakech.
Évènement
Institut français Marrakech Open Day 2026
19 Sept · Institut français de Marrakech
A free open day introducing the Institut français de Marrakech’s courses, library and cultural programme.
Littérature
Meet Moulay Seddik Rabbaj in Marrakech
19 Sept · Institut français de Marrakech
A literary conversation with Moulay Seddik Rabbaj at the Institut français de Marrakech on 19 September 2026 at 5…
Arts visuels
Moroccan Interreligiosities — Manoël Pénicaud
24 Sept · Maison Denise Masson
Manoël Pénicaud’s photographic exhibition explores shared religious practices and places in Morocco.
Festival
The Moroccan Incident 2026 in Marrakech
24 Sept · Villa Marco, région de Marrakech
Three The String Cheese Incident concerts at Villa Marco, included in travel and accommodation packages around…
Festival
6th Marrakech Short Film Festival 2026
25 Sept · Cyber Parc, Palais El Badii, Palais Bahia, Centre Les Étoiles de Jamaa El Fna et autres lieux
The sixth edition brings screenings, competitions, masterclasses and professional meetings to Marrakech from 25 to…
Arts visuels
Terres en partage
25 Sept · Institut français de Marrakech
An exhibition exploring architecture, local resources, heritage and environmental transitions in Morocco.
Littérature
Mahmoud Darwish Poetry Day in Marrakech
26 Sept · Institut français de Marrakech
Readings, conversations and performances celebrate Mahmoud Darwish in Marrakech on 26 September 2026.Where to go
Museums, art, cinema and cultural venues
Museums & visual culture
Performance, cinema & programmes
P
Palais des Festivals & des Congrès MarrakechPrivate convention centre · Boulevard Mohammed VI, L'Hivernage, Marrakech More cultural places
Heritage & context
Understand Marrakech through its culture
Use heritage as part of the cultural itinerary rather than as a separate checklist.
Bahia Palace
A major nineteenth-century palace complex known for courtyards, gardens, carved plaster, painted wood and zellij craftsmanship.
Saadian Tombs
The royal necropolis offers a concentrated introduction to Saadian-era decorative arts and can be combined with the Kasbah district.
Explore by area
Marrakech by neighbourhood
Medina
A dense cultural landscape of architecture, crafts, markets, small museums and performance traditions that is best explored on foot.
Heritage · Crafts · PhotographyGuéliz
Guéliz combines galleries, cafés, cinemas, design and twentieth-century urbanism outside the medina walls.
Galleries · Cinema · CafésHivernage
Hotels, conference spaces and performance venues make Hivernage useful for festivals, large shows and evening programmes.
Shows · Festivals · Night eventsAl Maaden
This area is associated with MACAAL and contemporary art destinations that require a more deliberate trip from the centre.
Contemporary art · Museums · DesignDaoudiate
Public cultural facilities and neighbourhood activity make Daoudiate relevant for programmes beyond the city’s visitor-facing cultural circuit.
Local programmes · Workshops · Community culturePractical city guide
Getting around Marrakech
Keep travel practical: cultural venues can sit in very different parts of the same city.
Walking
Walking is the best way to explore much of the medina, where many lanes are not designed for cars. Allow extra time for navigation.
Petit taxi
Petit taxis are useful between the medina, Guéliz, Hivernage and cultural venues farther from the historic centre.
By area
Marrakech works best when visits are grouped geographically. A museum in Al Maaden and a fixed-time event in the medina should not be planned as if they were next door.
Train
Marrakech railway station connects the city with Casablanca, Rabat, Fez and other destinations on the national network.
Check ONCF trains ↗One-day idea
A cultural day in Marrakech
A flexible route that can be adapted around opening times and the live events calendar.
- 1Morning
Choose a museum or foundation in Guéliz or Al Maaden, depending on the exhibition you want to see.
- 2Lunch
Move towards the medina and keep the rest of the afternoon within walking distance where possible.
- 3Afternoon
Explore a palace, craft district or smaller cultural space before continuing through the medina.
- 4Evening
Use the live Culturama calendar for a concert, show, film screening, festival or cultural event.
Plan ahead
Coming up in Marrakech
6th Marrakech Photography EncountersMeydene et plusieurs lieux de Marrakech→Iqtibas — Sarah M.Institut français de Marrakech→Poetry Night in MarrakechDar Chrifa→Marrakech Folklore Days 2026Plusieurs espaces à Marrakech→EKO Musical Comedy Live in MarrakechMegarama Marrakech→Marrakech Coffee & Tea Festival 2026Mossalla Sidi Amara, route de l’Agdal / route de l’Ourika→Yassar: Lamhiyeb Live in MarrakechMegarama Marrakech→23rd Marrakech International Film FestivalPalais des Congrès et plusieurs lieux à Marrakech→
Cultural context
Go deeper
A cultural city beyond the postcard
The medina remains an essential cultural territory, yet Marrakech’s creative life also extends through Guéliz, Al Maaden, Daoudiate and the roads leading to foundations and residencies. Contemporary institutions engage with craftsmanship, popular narratives and urban history.
This conversation between heritage and current creation makes it possible to visit a museum, see a photography exhibition, attend a performance and discover an independent artistic project in a single day.
Art and culture experiences in Marrakech
Visual arts hold a prominent place through museums, foundations, galleries and residencies. The city’s stages also host theatre, comedy, concerts and major productions, while festivals celebrate popular arts, film and international exchange.
For a more local experience, consult programmes from cultural centres, institutes and neighbourhood spaces. They often offer accessible talks, screenings, workshops and community events.
Build a coherent cultural route
Distances between venues can be significant. Organise a day by area—medina, Guéliz, Hivernage or Al Maaden—and combine flexible long-running exhibitions with performances that have fixed starting times.
The events shown here come from Culturama’s database and link directly to their localized canonical pages. Cultural venues also have permanent pages that extend the discovery.
Explore Morocco
Continue your cultural trip
Move between city guides without leaving the English cultural ecosystem.