Tetouan to Host 27th Edition of International Lute Festival

Tetouan – Tetouan will host the 27th edition of the International Lute Festival from October 29 to 31 under the theme “The Mediterranean: A Basin of Three Cultures.”

This year’s edition is part of the celebrations marking Tetouan’s designation as the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue for 2026, according to a statement from the organizers.

The festival will kick off at the Spanish Theater with a performance featuring Lebanese singer, composer and oud player Marcel Khalife alongside Italian lutenist Aurora Manfredi, bringing Mediterranean cultures into dialogue through music.

Moroccan lutenist Tariq Banzi will also perform alongside Spanish pianist Jesús Pardo and U.S.-based Moroccan multi-instrumentalist Boujemaa Razgui. Meanhile, Palestinian oud player and composer Nizar Rohana will perform at the festival’s closing.

The program will also feature one of this edition’s highlights, with a concert by the Moroccan Oud Orchestra, bringing together 50 instrumentalists representing the Kingdom’s 12 regions to commemorate the first anniversary of Morocco’s Unity Day.

The festival stands as a major cultural event promoting intercultural dialogue, celebrating Morocco’s spiritual identity and fostering the values of tolerance and coexistence through the world’s rich musical heritage.

Held under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, the festival is organized at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Province of Tetouan, the Provincial Council and the Municipality of Tetouan.