MOGA festival has become a fundamental source of growth for Morocco’s music scene in recent years. The project was born back in 2016 igniting a mission to expand the local scene, inviting artists from an array of scenes across minimal, techno, house and beyond to the beautiful surroundings of Morocco.
Set in the breathtaking scenes of Essaouira, the festival will run from Wednesday 28th October through to Sunday the 2nd October. On top of the various stages, there will be a series of ‘MOGA OFF events’ throughout the five days including opening parties, food, talks, and more in and around the gorgeous Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa.
The story of MOGA is an inspiring feat. Originally, the idea started with local promoters inviting a diverse curation of artists that are not commonly heard in the city. One key promoter that is heavily active within the Moroccan minimal sphere is Sqnc. Their taste-making parties in Rabat and further afield have welcomed the likes of Cabanne, Vlada, Spacetravel and Rhadoo to extend the electronic music landscape in their town.
Taking the many influences from the city and presenting them in a hub of connection, networking and celebration, MOGA combines the varying flavours of music across the extended weekend. This year, the minimal spheres announced so far are represented by Perlon queen Sonja Moonear, [a:rpia:r] legend Petre Inspirescu and The Volks’ versatile selector Vlada.
Uniting with the wider world of house and techno, long-time innovators DJ Tennis, Sassy J and Soichi Terada’s mesmeric live set are some of the major bookings you can expect to witness over the weekend. Many more artists are also due to be in announced in the second wave coming soon.
Due to the devoted efforts several crews have contributed to building the MOGA community, the festival has evolved into a strong tribe connecting a family of nomads across the world. 1st June this year saw the collective’s first edition in Portugal, taking over the blissful area of Costa de Caparica for a four day event inviting the likes of house music hero Chez Damier, Laurence Guy and Maurice Fulton.
The community effort behind this grassroots festival is a testament to the potential of what can be achieved with teamwork. By uniting the several crews in the small network of like-minded artists, promoters and dancers, the team have managed to build a special gathering which now attracts a plethora of legends from electronic music’s history and contemporary scene.
This September offers a unique opportunity to not only listen to a intriguing and diverse curation of artists, but to revel in the stunning surrounding of Morroco, meet the locals, enjoy the luscious sunshine and immerse in the growing culture of the city.
Moving into their sixth year since inception, MOGA festival is a glowing light for the healthy and diverse underground scene that is now thriving in Morocco. Following the recent Boiler Room in Marrakesh, the nation continues to grow strongly through these uncertain times and offers a flourishing path for members of the community to build a sustainable career and continue growing the community.
Learn more about the exciting Moroccan scene in our in-depth feature detailing the growth of MOGA back in 2019.
Buy tickets for the festival here and check out the event page for more.
More info on MOGA Festival
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