Rabat, Engulfed By Artistic & Cultural Reinvention

The Moroccan capital of Rabat may be one of the country’s imperial cities, but it is long been bypassed by the timeworn beauty of places like Marrakech, Fez, and Tangier. That may change in 2024 as the city is in the midst of a cultural and artistic reinvention.

One of the most talked about attractions: the forthcoming Mohammed VI Tower, designed to be LEED gold and HQE- certified and projected to be the tallest and only spire of its kind in Africa. But perhaps even more exciting is the new Grand Theatre of Rabat opening nearby.

One of the legendary architects, Zaha Hadid’s unfinished masterpieces, will incorporate a 1,800-seat theatre, an experimental performance space, and a 7,000-person amphitheater, along with green spaces and a restaurant. It is set to be the largest venue of its kind in both Africa and the Arab worldand will host symphony, ballet, opera, and philharmonic performances (all of the above preceding 2024).

Another hotly anticipated cultural foray is the 2024 return of the Mawazine festival, coming back after the CoVID-19-induced hiatus – there’s no word on a lineup yet, but in the past Africa’s largest festival has drawn A-listers like Rihanna and Mariah Carey.

A flurry of high-profile hotel openings will make for a soft landing in the city while you are there. They herald a new era of modern luxury in the historic city: now, the buzz is centered around the Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr, to be opened before the close of 2023, as well as the others in the pipeline.

Cool music festival, big-name architecture, luxury hotels? Morocco’s capital of Rabat has all that and more, and 2024 brings a wave of newness.