Marrakech Comedy Festival

What it really is

The Marrakech Comedy Festival was launched in June 2026, run by the Franco-Algerian comedian Malik Bentalha, co-creator, host and curator. It follows the Marrakech du Rire, founded and led by Jamel Debbouze from 2011 to 2024. The Marrakech du Rire, wound up after twelve editions and two cancellations tied to the health context, had originally been designed as a fixed-term project Debbouze felt he had brought to a close. Malik Bentalha, a regular guest from the early editions, has picked up the torch without claiming a continuity: ‘a new story, not at all tied to Jamel Debbouze’, he said at launch. The festival runs over three days at the Palais des Congrès de Marrakech, in Hivernage. Two French-language galas hold the bill on Friday and Saturday, an Arabic-language gala hosted by the Moroccan comedian EKO rounds out the programme, along with several solo shows. Its singularity sits in this bilingual French-Arabic bill, rarely offered at this scale in Morocco.

Taking it in

The event plays indoors, in a classic stand-up and line-up format. Malik Bentalha opens each French-language gala as MC, introduces the comedians, links the transitions, holds the room between two sets. The Arabic-language gala handed to EKO lets the Moroccan scene speak in darija, still rare on the big bills. The programme mixes established comedians and a new generation: the first edition rolled solos between the two big evenings, a format designed to hold up over time. The audience is mixed: very Moroccan, very French-speaking diaspora, with French tourists making the trip. 3,000-seat hall, careful sound design, welcome air-con in June. The format carries the ‘new energy’ Bentalha describes: fewer big-name headliners as a systematic pull, more young voices starting to fill rooms in Paris and Casablanca.

Getting there

Ticketing opens two to three months before the festival. Two circuits depending on where you buy from: Guichet.com for payment in dirhams with a Moroccan card. Fnacspectacles.com and Francebillet.com for payment in euros from Europe. Numbered seats, several price tiers by proximity to the stage. Getting to the Palais des Congrès: the main entrance opens onto Avenue de France, at the west end of Guéliz, straddling Hivernage. Reckon ten minutes by taxi from the medina (20 to 40 dirhams depending on the hour), five minutes from most Guéliz and Hivernage hotels. Where to stay: these two districts are the most practical. The Palmeraie forces a taxi on every outing, tense late at night. Book two to three months ahead: early June opens the hot season and fills the hotels. Weather: 25 to 35°C by day, hot and dry, air-conditioned hall in the evening. Bring a light layer for the late walk out.

Pair it with

Three or four nights are enough to soak up the three evenings without rushing. The format that works: light morning in the medina or by the pool, rooftop in Guéliz before the gala, quiet walk back. On a quiet day, a run out to the Ourika valley offers cool relief (60 km, 2 to 3 hrs return), or a morning in the Palmeraie gardens stays gentle before the afternoon heat. Avoid the Agafay Desert in the middle of a June day: the heatwave gets fierce from 2pm. To carry the night on after the curtain, a Guéliz rooftop is five minutes from the Palais (see our rooftops picks).

Who it is for, who it is not

For French-language comedy fans who want to discover the Franco-Maghrebi scene without going to Paris. For a bilingual French-Arabic trip (the Arabic-language gala remains rare on this festival format). For former Marrakech du Rire fans curious to see what the bill becomes without Jamel. Less for: absolute nostalgics chasing the return of Jamel Debbouze (the team and the concept are new, not a tribute rebrand). Travellers allergic to June heat, even indoors. Those hoping for international English-language comedians, absent from the bill for now.

FAQ

Is it the successor to the Marrakech du Rire? Yes, with a new team. Jamel Debbouze’s Marrakech du Rire wound up in 2024 after twelve editions. The Marrakech Comedy Festival, launched in June 2026, follows on chronologically at the Palais des Congrès, led by Malik Bentalha. He made clear at launch that it is ‘not a replacement, a new story’: different team, positioning and bill.

When is the next edition? The 2nd edition is planned for early June 2027, exact dates to confirm on the ticketing platforms once published (likely around the first weekend).

How do I buy tickets? From Morocco: Guichet.com (payment in dirhams). From France or Europe: Fnacspectacles.com or Francebillet.com (payment in euros). Opening two to three months before the festival.

Where is the Palais des Congrès? Avenue de France, straddling Guéliz and Hivernage, western end of the modern city. Ten minutes by taxi from the medina, five minutes from Guéliz or Hivernage hotels.

What kind of shows do you see? Two French-language galas hosted by Malik Bentalha (line-up of six to eight comedians each), an Arabic-language gala hosted by the Moroccan comedian EKO and several one-hour solo shows, all programmed over three days.

Which accommodation do you recommend? Guéliz or Hivernage for the immediate walk to the Palais des Congrès. The medina is possible but forces a taxi in the evening. See our where-to-stay hub in Marrakech.

Sheet built from official sources - Marrakech Comedy Festival (guichet.com), interviews with Malik Bentalha (Paris Match, Elle Afrique, Médias24), Moroccan and French press on the end of the Marrakech du Rire. Next update expected at the release of the official 2027 programme.