Desert festivals in December 2026: Zamane in M'Hamid and film in Zagora, from Marrakech without the suitcase

In early December 2026, the Drâa valley hosts two festivals back to back: desert music in M'Hamid El Ghizlane, then cinema in Zagora. For most travellers the trip starts in Marrakech, a long day's drive away. Here are the confirmed dates, the official prices, the road over the Tizi n'Tichka and one simple idea that changes the trip: leave the big suitcase in Marrakech and travel light.

Zamane Festival in M'Hamid: 3 to 6 December 2026

Zamane Festival celebrates its 5th edition. It is organised by the Joudour Sahara association, part of the Playing For Change network, and takes place in four ksour of the oasis: Oulad Driss, M'Hamid, Zouiat L'hna and Bounou. Shuttles link the villages during the festival.

Prices published on the official festival website:

• Festival pass only: 350 MAD for 1 day, 600 MAD for 2 days, 800 MAD for 3 days, 1,000 MAD for all 4 days.
• Hotel package: 4,800 MAD per person, 4 nights in a room shared by two, welcome in M'Hamid on Thursday 3 December, dinner on the 3rd then full board from the 4th to the 6th (drinks not included), shuttles between the ksour.
• Bivouac package: 6,000 MAD per person, 4 nights in a tent shared by two, with the same services.

Packages are booked by email with the festival team (zamane@playingforchange.org); day tickets through the platform linked on the website. At the end of October the 2026 line-up was not yet on the official site; the press names the singer Oum among the first artists. Check the programme before you book.

Zagora Trans-Saharan Film Festival: 6 to 11 December 2026

Zagora hosts the 20th edition of its International Trans-Saharan Film Festival, from Sunday 6 to Friday 11 December 2026, according to the festival's official rules. The programme includes official competitions for feature and short films, panoramas of Moroccan, African and Arab cinema, and special screenings on Saharan cinema. This year the festival also launches "Transahara Doc", a support programme for documentaries in post-production.

Screening venues had not been detailed by the end of October: check the festival website as the dates get closer. Do not confuse it with Zagora's documentary film festival, a separate event announced for early November.

Combining the two festivals

The calendar makes it easy: Zamane ends on Sunday 6 December, the very day the Zagora festival opens. M'Hamid is about a hundred kilometres south of Zagora, at the end of the paved road. Two realistic plans:

• Zamane only: leave Marrakech on Wednesday 2 or early on Thursday 3, come back on Sunday 6 in the evening or on Monday 7.
• Zamane then Zagora: M'Hamid from the 3rd to the 6th, Zagora from the 6th to the 11th, back in Marrakech around Saturday 12. About ten days in the south.

From Marrakech: the Tizi n'Tichka road

Zagora is about 350 km from Marrakech by road: you cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka pass (about 2,260 m), reach Ouarzazate, then follow the Drâa valley south on the N9 via Agdz. Allow a full day, about 7 hours by coach according to route planners, more with photo stops. M'Hamid adds roughly another hundred kilometres.

• By coach: CTM and Supratours are among the companies serving Zagora from Marrakech. Timetables change: check them on ctm.ma and supratours.ma and book early for a festival departure. Our guide to the Marrakech bus station explains where these coaches leave from.
• By car or with a driver: the most flexible way to combine both festivals. For M'Hamid, the Zamane team also offers help organising travel logistics.
• A stop in Ouarzazate: splitting the drive in two is a good idea. See our Ouarzazate guide.

Conditions in December

In winter the Tichka pass can get snow and close temporarily: check the road conditions the day before you leave and avoid driving at night. In the desert, days are usually mild but nights are cold, especially in a bivouac. Bring a proper warm layer, a hat, a head torch and a scarf against the sand.

Why leave the big suitcase in Marrakech

A large wheeled suitcase has no place in M'Hamid: wheels are useless in sand, bivouac tents are shared by two, and you will hop between ksour by shuttle several times a day. There is no BoxSpot point in Zagora or M'Hamid. The simplest plan is to set off with a backpack for a few days and leave the rest in Marrakech, where you will pass through anyway for your flight or train.

Where to leave your bags in Marrakech

Two BoxSpot points in the medina, with different hours:

• Bazar Posterre, near the Medersa Ben Youssef (north medina, about 10 minutes on foot from Jemaa el-Fna): Monday to Thursday and Saturday 11am to 11pm, Friday 11am to 10pm, closed on Sunday. Ideal for a drop-off the evening before and a late return. See the Ben Youssef point.
• Salon de coiffure Bab Aghmat (just outside Bab Aghmat, south-east medina): every day 9am to 5pm, Sunday included. See the Bab Aghmat point.

It works the same way everywhere: you show your booking, the partner scans your QR code and takes a photo of your bags with the drop-off time. When you come back, bags are only returned against that same QR code.

What multi-day storage costs

The rate is 9 MAD per hour per bag, with a 4-hour minimum, and an hourly booking never costs more than 59 MAD for the first bag for the day. Each following day costs 39 MAD. An extra bag costs 49 MAD on day one, then 39 MAD a day. Example for Zamane: a 5-day booking for one suitcase is 59 + 4 × 39 = 215 MAD. The booking form calculates the exact price for your dates.

Payment is online, in dirhams, by card. All points are on the Marrakech luggage storage page.