Rabat is hosting the 22nd edition of the Morocco Tales Festival, celebrating water stories and popular memory.
Under the esteemed patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the International Academy of Intangible Cultural Heritage is organizing the 22nd edition of the International Morocco Tales Festival, taking place from July 6 to July 13, 2025, in the city of Rabat, under the slogan “Your Story is Water, Tell it to Quench”. This edition focuses on the theme of “Water Tales,” honoring this vital element that has long been a rich source of inspiration, myths, and popular stories, serving as a bridge between humanity and nature, as well as between memory and the future.
The festival commenced on the evening of Sunday, July 6, at Bab El Had Square in downtown Rabat, where the city witnessed a public opening ceremony celebrating the oral story in the heart of the public space, featuring a storytelling evening facilitated by the character “Baba Ashour” amidst a vibrant and traditional artistic atmosphere that attracted families, passersby, and all storytelling enthusiasts. This unique opening marked the start of a week dedicated to oral creativity and heritage performances extending until July 13, reaffirming the role of storytelling as a cultural, educational, and humanistic vehicle.
This edition distinguishes itself by hosting the Republic of Panama as a guest of honor, showcasing its rich oral traditions and deep environmental memory, thus enhancing cultural dialogue between the Global South and strengthening storytelling communication links between Latin America and Morocco. Additionally, this year’s festival will pay special tribute to the figure of the “Moroccan crab,” symbolizing strength in Morocco’s traditional water culture, where the crab embodies a popular memory deserving of protection and valorization. The late storywriter “Oulad Hania,” one of the founding figures of the festival known for his renowned performances that combined artistic mastery with popular simplicity, will also be honored.
Festival events will be distributed across various locations, including Rabat, Salé, Kenitra, and Harhoura, featuring diverse offerings such as major storytelling evenings with narrators from Morocco and abroad, artistic performances, and carnivals, alongside intellectual moments like an international roundtable on “Water in the Human Imaginary” scheduled for Thursday, July 10, in partnership with Mohammed V University, bringing together researchers and academics to discuss the role of storytelling in evoking environmental and spiritual symbols throughout the ages. Additionally, Kenitra’s Ibn Tofail University will host a professional masterclass in storytelling on Friday, July 11, aimed at training young narrators capable of blending traditional heritage with modern digital techniques, addressing environmental and identity issues.
The festival’s daily program will include multiple storytelling and entertainment stations, with artistic evenings taking place in Hassan Park and gathering venues in various neighborhoods of the capital, alongside special moments such as the “storytelling promenade” between Marina Salé and the Rabat port via boats, the heritage carnival on the evening of Wednesday, July 9, and the grand heritage evening at the Harhoura resort on Saturday, July 12, culminating in a closing evening on Sunday, July 13, that celebrates the voices of storytellers and honors the spirit of storytelling.
This edition underscores the role of storytelling as a soft power capable of promoting values of coexistence, enhancing intangible heritage, and inspiring generations to creatively narrate contemporary issues through water, a symbol of memory, transformation, and communication between peoples.
