…we have to talk !

Happy 46^th! Yes, it’s 46 candles for the National Festival of Traditional Arts & Crafts in Marrakech!

It’s funny, I’m going to have to accompany Henry Bouldingue again for 5 days, Helene is not going to be happy…

Well, let’s get to the heart of the matter: from 29 June to 3 July 2011, more than 300 dancers, singers, costume makers, and  craftspeople of all kinds, from all over Morocco, will be performing an astonishing mix of traditional music, various crafts and Moroccan traditional culture, all on stages specially built for the festival in Marrakech.

For this year’s festival there are several innovative additions; notably the construction of a special village with stands, various workshops and exhibition space, two major stages (Bab Jdid) and nightly performances in the magnificent Palais el Badi.

The Festival will open on 29 June at 7pm with a large parade down Avenue Mohammed V.

The festival will be a fantastic occasion for everyone to get some fresh ideas and to put a bit of fun into the place in these somewhat disturbed times… but above all it’s a chance to discover more about this astonishingly rich culture!

Don’t get me wrong, far be it for me to tempt you away unfairly, but after the European summer music festivals, a breath of Oriental air in the streets and alleyways of the ‘Red City’ is a welcome change…right?

In any case, change of scene guaranteed!

And during the festival week, no worries for your accommodation in Marrakech, your insider will take care of everything…

Details:

Festival Foundation of Marrakech

Royal Theater, Avenue Mohamed 6, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco

Ticket information : 05 24 43 20 21
Website : http://www.marrakechfestival.com/
E-mail : fnap2011@gmail.com
Prices: 100dhs / Under 25s : 50dhs
Buy tickets from : Jamaa El Fna Square / ONCF Train Station/ Royal Theater/ El Badi Palace / Marjane Menara

Tell this to the rest of the world !

What? No, I’m not late…this is just to remind those compulsive travellers and those who like to give their laughing muscles a work out that from 8 to 12 June (starting tomorrow then!) the Marrakech Comedy Festival will be happening.

The festival will be headlined by Jamel Debbouze [well-known French actor and comedian, of Moroccan descent] and he will be magnificently supported by Hassan El Fad, Abdelkader Secteur, Gad Elmaleh, Florence Foresti, Patrick Timsit… to only name a few! The festival will take place over four days, 3 of which will be at the Marrakech Congressional Hall and the final cherry on the top will be the show on the evening of the 11^th in the immense and very beautiful El Badi Palace…in the open air ladies and gentlemen! Apparently even M6 and TV5 [ French television channels] are going to broadcast the festival…

So I invite you to throw yourself at your favourite travel agents to grab some of those good old competition-beating last minute tickets. Regarding accommodation in Marrakech, don’t worry, a certain recent event has ‘aired out’ the hotels of the Red City… Equally your inside man still has a room or two available in his little Eden and can also point you in the right direction of certain colleagues, inside information French style!

We’ll have a great laugh…!

All the info below:

http://www.marrakechdurire.com

Palais des congrès
Boulevard Mohammed VI
40 000 Marrakech
Phone : + 212 (0)524 33 91 00
Fax : + 212 (0)524 33 91 20/21

Tell this to the rest of the world !