Marrakech Film Festival 2026 (20-28 November): planning your days without a suitcase

The Marrakech International Film Festival holds its 23rd edition from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 November 2026. Nine days of official competition, talks and, as every year, public screenings on Jemaa el-Fna square, where the screen goes up among the food stalls and storytellers. The festival falls in Marrakech's mild season, and several new air routes open just before it. Many visitors will come for a long weekend, with a very practical question: what do you do with your suitcase between the plane and the evening screening? Short answer From 20 to 28 November 2026, with open-air public screenings on Jemaa el-Fna in the evening. If you arrive or leave on a screening day, drop your luggage in the medina: near the Ben Youssef Madrasa (until 11pm, closed on Sundays) or at Bab Aghmat (9am-5pm, every day). 9 MAD per hour per bag. What to know about this edition Dates: from Friday 20 to Saturday 28 November 2026, spanning two weekends. Public screenings on Jemaa el-Fna square, in the evening. Programme, accreditation and tickets: announced by the organisers on the festival's official website as the event approaches. It is the only reliable source for times. The first weekend (20-22 November) and the last (27-28 November) will be the busiest with short-stay visitors. Book your accommodation early. New flights with good timing Several direct routes to Marrakech-Menara open a few weeks before the festival: easyJet Prague-Marrakech from 25 October 2026, two flights a week. easyJet Zurich-Marrakech from 28 October 2026, two flights a week. easyJet Newcastle-Marrakech from 3 November 2026. Ryanair announces five new routes to Marrakech for winter 2026, including Wroclaw. With two flights a week, you don't always get to pick the time: you often land in the morning before check-in, or leave in the evening after giving back the room. Always check operating days with the airline, as they can change. Why a suitcase is a problem in Marrakech You can't drive through the medina. Riads sit at the end of narrow alleys shared with scooters and carts, and wheels don't like cobblestones or speed bumps. Many riads only hand over the room in the early afternoon. And on departure day, a late-evening flight leaves a whole day to fill. On Jemaa el-Fna square in the evening, the crowd is dense around the screens and stalls. It is not the place to keep an eye on a suitcase. Where to leave your luggage in the medina Near the Ben Youssef Madrasa A partner bazaar is a three-minute walk from the Ben Youssef Madrasa, in the north of the medina, about fifteen minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna. It is open from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday, until 10pm on Fridays, and closed on Sundays. It is the right choice if you want to stay for an evening screening and collect your things afterwards. Near Bab Aghmat A partner hair salon is three minutes from Bab Aghmat, in the east of the medina. It is open from 9am to 5pm every day, Sundays included. Handy for a morning or Sunday arrival, less so for an evening out. Watch out for Sunday 22 November: the Ben Youssef point is closed that day. If you leave on a Sunday, use Bab Aghmat and collect your luggage before 5pm. In both cases: 9 MAD per hour per bag, capped at 59 MAD per day. You book online, the shopkeeper scans your QR code and takes a time-stamped photo of your luggage at drop-off. A typical festival Saturday 11am: check out of the riad, drop your luggage near Ben Youssef. 11:30am: visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa, then the souks. 2pm: lunch, then a garden or museum outside the medina. Evening: screening on Jemaa el-Fna. Before 11pm: back to the drop-off point, collect your luggage, taxi to the airport. The evening screening, without the suitcase Two points in the Marrakech medina. Exact address, opening hours and price shown before payment. See the points in Marrakech Landing early? Read our guide to arriving at Marrakech-Menara before check-in.