From 8 to 11 October 2026, Essaouira will host the third edition of the Rencontres Esther & Salma. Under the theme “Crossings”, this cultural event will bring together artists, intellectuals and audiences around a rich programme dedicated to dialogue between cultures.
For four days, the City of Trade Winds will offer screenings, performances, concerts, exhibitions and talks. The event will focus on key issues such as exile, memory, transmission and cultural blending, topics that speak directly to Moroccans living in the country and abroad.
Anchored in Essaouira’s heritage as a meeting point of cultures, these encounters echo other initiatives that make the city a reference for arts and heritage, as highlighted in Canal212’s coverage of Essaouira, capitale culturelle du Maroc. They also fit into the broader dynamic of les événements culturels au Maroc supported by national cultural actors.
Rencontres Esther & Salma: four days exploring “Crossings”
This third edition invites participants to reflect on human journeys and the ties that are forged beyond borders.
The theme “Crossings” evokes movements and migrations, but also exchanges between cultures. It opens a space to share stories, compare experiences and explore different forms of transmission between generations and communities, in Morocco and within its diaspora.
In Essaouira, the organisers aim to make art a meeting point between diverse narratives and sensibilities, continuing the conversation on Moroccan cultural heritage explored in articles such as le patrimoine culturel marocain.
Cinema, theatre and visual arts on the programme
The programme of the Rencontres Esther & Salma will highlight artistic diversity.
Cinema will play a major role, with documentary and fiction films focusing on exile, uprooting and identity.
Theatre will also tackle these questions through personal and collective narratives, giving voice to different experiences of movement, distance and belonging.
Visual arts will complete the programme with exhibitions exploring the notions of borders, territory and shared space, echoing the long history of Essaouira as an open port city.
Music as a universal language
Music will be another highlight of this edition.
Artists will bring together traditional sounds and contemporary creations. Their performances will seek to build bridges between generations and cultures, reflecting the diversity of Moroccan society and its diaspora.
The Rencontres Esther & Salma will also feature round tables and debates. Thinkers, academics and artists will exchange views on memory, cultural transmission and the role of art in keeping shared histories alive.
Special attention will be paid to younger generations and the ways in which they shape their relationship to culture and identity, whether they live in Morocco or abroad.
Essaouira, a natural stage for the encounters
The choice of Essaouira gives the event a special dimension.
The medina, ramparts and various cultural venues in the city will provide an ideal setting for meetings and exchanges. Visitors will be able to discover the works while enjoying the atmosphere of the City of Trade Winds, whose cultural role is regularly highlighted by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication.
This setting also helps bring artists closer to the public. Exchanges will not be limited to stages and exhibition halls, but will also take place in public spaces and informal encounters throughout the city.
A third edition focused on intercultural dialogue
With this new edition, the Rencontres Esther & Salma continue to explore intercultural dialogue and shared memory.
Through cinema, theatre, music and visual arts, the event aims to highlight stories that cross borders and connect different shores of the Mediterranean and beyond.
The Essaouira gathering seeks to make artistic creation a space for dialogue, remembrance and transmission, in resonance with the experiences of Moroccans wherever they live.
From 8 to 11 October 2026, the city will be at the heart of a programme that puts cultural exchange and human journeys at the centre of contemporary creation.
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