Experiencing the Festival of Roses in Morocco

For those who love the delicate scent and enduring beauty of roses, head to Morocco in springtime for the ultimate pilgrimage: the Festival of Roses. Held every May in one of the country’s most scenic valleys, the Festival of Roses in Morocco is a sensory delight. It usually takes place some time in the first two weeks of May – exact dates vary according to climatic conditions – and celebrates the harvest of rose petals in this part of the Dades Valley. The Festival of Roses is based in the town of El Kelaâ M’Gouna and is one of the country’s longest running events, having taken place annually since 1962. Read on for our tips on experiencing this sensory, cultural celebration at its best while on a springtime trip to Morocco.

What is the Festival of Roses in Morocco?

The Festival of Roses is an annual celebration of the rose harvest, which takes place in the town of Kelaat M’Gouna. The town is the center of Morocco’s local rose-cultivating industry, and for the weeks running up to the harvest, the streets are beautifully scented with the perfume of the highly scented Persian Damask (or centifolia) roses. The festival is around 50 years old as the first event took place in 1969. Since then it has become a much lauded cultural celebration, drawing locals and international visitors alike.

How many roses are cultivated in Morocco?

The whole rose-cultivating area around El Kelaâ M’Gouna produces between 2,000 and 4,000 tons of flowers annually, depending on the growing conditions of the year. It sounds like a lot, but when you consider that over 3,000kg of petals make only one kilogram of rose oil, you can see that every bloom is precious. The extraction is carried out by steaming the rose petals in copper stills, where the oil rises with the steam to be separated from the rose water.

Rose oil is expensive due to its low yield, and is sought after by perfumiers all over the world. Morocco produces only 5% of the world’s rose oil output, but it is highly prized in the industry as it is not produced with any pesticides or chemicals but is entirely natural, and has an alluring, distinctive scent. Other products made during the rose processing include rose water, which is used in various beauty products as well as cooking.

You might see a truck or two if you visit the area during your trip to Morocco, laden with the highly fragrant pink roses – but they are usually picked in the early hours, so you’ll have to be up with the larks to see the harvest in action. The roses are picked daily during the blooming period by the women of the area, who have to work quickly before the sun dries out the valuable oils from their petals. From there, they’re sold on to one of the rose cooperatives who take them to be processed at the two local distilleries.

The Festival of Roses: music, costumes, parades

There’s a lot going on during the Rose Festival, locals take the celebration seriously! There’s a jubilant energy in the air as the people of the town get into the spirit of the event by dancing, performing, wearing colorful costumes, marching in processions or joining traditional sports events. Buildings and vehicles are decorated with hundreds of stunning rose blooms, and the parties often go on into the night.

The Grand Parade

The main event, and the most visually impressive is the Grand Parade. Floats covered in rose decorations move through the town, while participants dress in beautiful costumes and take to the streets with baskets of rose petals, dancing and marching to music played by Berber folk bands. The soundtrack to all this is usually the ahidous, a traditional Amazigh dance where men and women stand in a circle or line, moving in rhythm to drums and handclaps. Locals and tourists are welcome to join in!

The Crowing of the Rose Queen

Another part not to miss is the Crowning of the Rose Queen. This is one of the most anticipated parts of the festival, and takes place on the Friday, at the beginning of the full weekend’s events as the Rose Queen has a leading role in the Grand Parade. Young women from the region dress in wonderful traditional clothing and adorn their hair with roses, and compete to be chosen as the annual Rose Queen.

A local panel of judges then choose a queen based on her charm, grace and general star quality, as well as their connection to the heritage of the Rose Festival. Once a winner is declared, the Rose Queen will lead the Grand Parade and have a much-celebrated role for the rest of the weekend.

Traditional desert sports

As well as the rose harvest, the festival is an overall celebration of the traditions out in the desert. Horse and camel racing sometimes take place in the surrounding areas, which can be an intriguing watch for spectators as it can get very competitive.

As a time-honored tradition of nomadic desert-dwellers, the participants also perform the ‘Fantasia’ – a traditional Moroccan equestrian display where skilled riders, dressed in historic warrior attire, gallop on horseback and fire muskets in unison. This doesn’t happen every year, but it’s an enjoyable spectacle if you catch a performance.

Souks overflowing with rose products

Of course, the local shopping is particularly interesting at this time as there are countless opportunities to buy anything and everything made from roses. Rose creams, oils, balms, ointments, edible rose-infused jams and sweets, dried petals and fresh garlands of pink roses are all for sale throughout the town and its souks. If you adore roses and their gorgeous scent, there can be no better place to be! Be sure to bring cash and a couple of empty shopping bags for your new, fragrant goodies.

Rose-picking and farm visits

You may get the chance to go rose-picking in nearby farms and learn how rosewater is distilled. At these farms you can learn from locals about the traditional use of roses in perfume, natural beauty treatments and cooking. Many local women are learning how to dry, package and distill their own rose harvests into rosewater as a way of building skills to improve their economic situation.

Tips for visiting Morocco’s Festival of Roses

• The Festival of Roses itself takes place across a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and dates change each year, so be sure to check before you book the trip. .
• By the time of the festival, most of the blooms will have been harvested – it is an event celebrating the harvest after all! To see the beautiful sight of the town’s roses still growing, you will need to visit a few days prior to the actual event.
• As mentioned, bring cash and a shopping bag to treat yourself to all of those gorgeous rose-infused products in the souks.
• There is plenty of local food at the Festival of Roses Festival. Vendors and local families serve up traditional tagines, khobz (Moroccan bread) and msemen (flaky honey pastries), so you won’t go hungry.

Where else to go in Morocco during the Festival of Roses?

The area surrounding El Kelaâ M’Gouna is known as the Valley of the Roses; believe it or not, there are over 4,000km of hedgerows of rose bushes in this area. It’s a great region for exploring, with numerous old kasbahs dotted around the valleys and the High Atlas Mountains not far away. Hiking around the town of El Kelaâ M’Gouna is a pleasure, especially in spring when first the almond groves, then the roses are in full bloom. It’s a good idea to go with a guide who can show you the permitted routes and act as an intermediary to any local Berber people you come across.

You can easily visit the festival as part of a bigger tour of Morocco. You could start with a tour of the scintillating capital Marrakech, move towards Aït Benhaddou and Ouarzazate, known as the ‘ Gateway to the Sahara’ – and then head to the Dades Valley, where the festival takes place. Afterwards, why not head to the Atlas Mountains? Everything is doable with the help of one of our local travel experts in Morocco.

Make it happen

So you’d like to join the rose-scented party in Morocco? Leave it to the experts to take care of all the details. Get in touch directly with our local Morocco travel experts – they’re on the ground within the destination ready to build an itinerary that’s perfect for you.