In Morocco, the city of Fès comes alive each year with the opening of the World Sacred Music Festival. Established in 1994, the event takes place in spring, most often during June. Buoyed by its success, it attracts an ever-growing number of artists each year. A symbol of tolerance, the festival brings together a diversity of cultures with different religious traditions. Initially dedicated to the three monotheistic religions, Fès has opened its doors to sacred music from around the world: Buddhist, Hindu, and animist traditions. A broad spectrum of music is thus offered to spectators coming to enjoy sacred chants. 

An open and musical dialogue unfolds, where peace reigns and conflicts fade away. The Sacred Music Festival is, according to Mohamed Kabbaj, the event's organizer, a "cradle of cultural and spiritual conviviality."

For centuries, the city of Fès has been a place of cultural encounters. Numerous scholars, philosophers and artists have lived there. It owes its success among intellectuals to the creation of the renowned university, Al Quaraouiyine, built in 857. Moreover, Fès is an atypical city, extraordinarily beautiful, naturally seductive. It is the third largest city in Morocco, its medina (old town) with magnificent Arab architecture is protected by UNESCO. The city has changed little since the 12th century. When attending the Sacred Music Festival, travelers will need to explore all corners of the vast city, as organizers always ensure that concerts are dispersed throughout different venues in Fès.

On Bâb Makina square, one of the city's most impressive, a grand stage is set up where multiple performances succeed one another throughout the day. At the Batha Museum and on Triumphal Arch square, in a landscape rich with history, near the Zerhoun mountain, other musical concerts are also organized.  And certain cafés in the city offer free performances for children. During the festival, wherever you wander in the city, you will hear the notes and harmonies of sacred music vibrating through the air.

All sacred music is represented without any discrimination: African, Tibetan, Sufi, Muslim, Christian, and more. The Fès festival helps people, even the most minority communities, to reclaim their culture. It thus protects cultures that might otherwise be forgotten due to war, genocide, or other reasons. The Sacred Music Festival symbolizes exchange, respect and peace so powerfully that the UN named it among the "twelve most important events in the world that have contributed positively to building dialogue between different cultures and civilizations..."

A short time after the festival in the city, colloquia are organized—this year addressing themes of the meaning of music and the sacred. These are "the Fès Encounters", which allow for the sharing of ideas with people from around the world. Fès is a place rich in exchange, where modernity, sacred values, faith, culture and heritage harmonize without any conflict.

During the festival, you will have the opportunity to dine in the city's excellent restaurants, such as the Majestic. In a most pleasant setting and at a reasonable price, you will dine very well. The restaurant is located at the foot of the mountains, the dishes offered are refined, and tourists are always delighted to visit. The restaurant "Les 3 Sources" offers somewhat more rustic cuisine, with meals served poolside in summer, in a magnificent garden adorned with palm and orange trees. You are assured of having a wonderful time. 

Fès has about thirty hotels and guesthouses where you can stay during the festival. It is best to book well in advance. In the medina, the Hôtel du Glacier and the Pension Talâa are reliable choices. They are excellently located and offer impeccable service.

The historic city of Fès, with its sumptuous landscape, offers tourists an almost enchanted and timeless festival. Ancient, sacred, or modern music commune with one another, elevating souls and soothing tensions. Celebrated throughout the world, the Fès Sacred Music Festival is a magical moment where the meaning of "respect" takes on its full value. Far more than an artistic event, the Fès festival is an emblem of peace in the world.