Professionals
Growers, roasters, baristas, tea sommeliers, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, importers, exporters and franchisees.
Visit
Coming to the festival
Opening hours, travel, visas, weather and practical tips for your stay in Marrakech.
Who it's for
Professionals and enthusiasts
Investors
Investors, start-ups and wholesalers looking for opportunities and partnerships.
Experts and enthusiasts
Coffee and tea lovers keen on the latest trends and artisan confectionery.
The public
Food lovers, families and travellers discovering the world of coffee, tea and fine food.
Opening hours
Three days, from 9:30 am
- Friday 5 November 2027
- 9:30 am – 7 pm
- Saturday 6 November 2027
- 9:30 am – 7 pm
- Sunday 7 November 2027
- 9:30 am – 6 pm
- Venue
- Marrakech — exact venue to be announced
Getting there
Travelling to Marrakech
By air
Marrakech-Menara International Airport (RAK), with flights to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
By train
Marrakech ONCF station, with direct services to Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier.
By road
Motorways from Casablanca (about 240 km) and Agadir.
Visa
Entry requirements for Morocco
Citizens of many countries, including the EU, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, can enter Morocco visa-free for tourist stays of up to 90 days.
Other nationals must obtain a visa before travelling from a Moroccan embassy or consulate. Allow 5 to 15 working days. The up-to-date list of exempt countries is on consulat.ma.
Exhibitors, speakers and delegations: we provide an official invitation letter for your visa application.
- Completed and signed visa application form
- Two recent passport photos (4 × 3 cm, white background)
- Passport valid beyond your stay, with copies of the identity pages
- Invitation letter from the festival organisers
- Mission order for official delegations
Weather
November, Marrakech at its mildest
November days are sunny and mild, around 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). Evenings are cool, 10–12 °C (50–54 °F). Rain is rare.
- Daytime: light layers, long sleeves or a thin sweater
- Evening: a warm jacket
- Comfortable shoes, the venue is large
- Sunglasses, a cap and sunscreen
Where to stay
Hotels and riads
Marrakech has accommodation for every budget, from palace hotels to riads in the medina. A selection of partner hotels and riads with preferential rates will be published here soon.
Official festival hotel: Grand Mogador Agdal, Marrakech. Discover the hotel →Travelling as a group or delegation? Contact us to plan your stay.
Practical information
Marrakech and Morocco at a glance
Everything you need to know before coming to the festival.
Marrakech
- Population
- About 1.3 million (2023 estimate)
- Area
- 230 km² (city)
- Location
- In the heart of Morocco, landlocked, surrounded by other Moroccan provinces
- Average altitude
- 466 m above sea level
- Terrain
- Flat plains and the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, arid zones and fertile oases
- People
- Mainly Arab and Amazigh (Berber), with many expatriates
- Languages
- Arabic and Tamazight (official), French (business and administration) and English
- Religions
- Predominantly Sunni Muslim, with a historic Jewish community
- Literacy rate
- About 73% (national average)
- Climate
- Semi-arid: hot summers, mild winters, from 12°C in January to 37°C in July. In early November, sunny days of 22–27°C, cooler mornings and evenings of 10–15°C.
Morocco
- Political system
- Constitutional monarchy
- Legislature
- Bicameral parliament: House of Representatives and House of Councillors
- Judicial system
- Independent judiciary; courts based on French and Islamic law
- State structure
- Unitary state
- Currency
- Moroccan dirham (MAD)
- Fiscal year
- Calendar year, 1 January to 31 December
Travelling
- Main entry points
- Marrakech-Menara Airport (RAK), motorways from Casablanca and Agadir
- Sea access
- Port of Casablanca, about 240 km away
- Public holidays
- Islamic holidays (Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha…), Throne Day (30 July), Independence Day (18 November) and others
- Time
- GMT+1 all year round
- Working hours
- Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm with a lunch break; government offices 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
- Electricity
- 220 V, 50 Hz, European plugs
- Weights and measures
- Metric system
- Visa
- Visa-free for many nationalities (EU, United States, Canada…) for stays of up to 90 days; others must obtain a visa before travelling. See the Visa section above.
History
Marrakech, a thousand years of history
Founded around 1070 by the Almoravid leader Abu Bakr ibn Umar at the foot of the Atlas, Marrakech is one of Morocco's four imperial cities. Its ochre walls and earthen buildings earned it the name “Red City”.
Its name is thought to come from the Amazigh amur n akush, “land of God”. For centuries Morocco itself was known as the “Kingdom of Marrakesh”: the words Morocco, Marruecos and Marokko derive from it, and in Persian or Urdu the country is still called “Marrakesh”.
Key moments and must-see places
Key moments
- 1070
Founded by the Almoravids as their capital. In 1122–1123 Ali ibn Yusuf built the city walls and brought water through khettaras, underground channels.
- 1147
The Almohads take the city and build the Koutoubia and the Menara and Agdal gardens. Marrakech becomes an intellectual centre visited by the philosopher Averroes.
- 16th century
After decline under the Marinids, the Saadians restore its splendour: El Badi Palace, the Saadian Tombs and the mellah (Jewish quarter), founded in 1558.
- 17th century
Marrakech becomes the city of the Seven Saints, whose tombs draw pilgrims during the ziyara.
- 1912–1956
The French Protectorate, until Mohammed V's return from exile and Morocco's independence in 1956.
- 1985
The medina, with Jemaa el-Fnaa square, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- 1994
The agreement creating the World Trade Organization is signed in Marrakech.
Must-see places
The Koutoubia
Built between 1147 and 1195, a masterpiece of Almohad architecture. Its 77-metre minaret overlooks the city.
Jemaa el-Fnaa
The beating heart of the medina: storytellers, musicians, snake charmers and street food late into the night.
Walls and Bab Agnaou
Some 19 km of 12th-century walls and about twenty gates, including Bab Agnaou with its Almohad carvings.
Souks and crafts
Morocco's largest traditional market: carpets, leather, brass, ceramics and thuya wood, made by master craftsmen (maalems).
Gardens
The Menara and its pool (1157), the 340-hectare Agdal, the Majorelle Garden restored by Yves Saint Laurent, Le Jardin Secret.
Palaces, tombs and mellah
El Badi and Bahia palaces, the Saadian Tombs, the Slat al-Azama synagogue and Morocco's largest Jewish cemetery.
Museums
Marrakech Museum (Dar Menebhi), Dar Si Said, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, the Pierre Bergé Berber Museum, the House of Photography.
Tea and the art of living
Mint tea, poured from high into small glasses, goes with tanjia, pastilla and pastries: the hospitality the festival celebrates.