HIBAPRESS – A. Muhyawi
Within the framework of the ongoing preparations for the organization of the 102nd edition of the Cherry Blossom Festival, hosted by the city of Sefrou, Ibrahim Abu Zaid chaired a wide-ranging meeting at the prefecture headquarters on Thursday, April 2, 2026. The meeting was attended by various stakeholders and was devoted to reviewing the organizational and logistical arrangements to ensure the success of this ancient event.
This festival, which has its roots in the 1920s, is one of the oldest cultural events in Morocco. It has been under the high patronage of Mohammed VI since 2010 and was classified in 2012 on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, given its cultural and civilizational symbolism. During this meeting, the multiple roles of the festival in consolidating the values of coexistence and tolerance were emphasized, as well as highlighting the heritage, cultural, and artistic qualifications of the Sefrou region, in addition to its contribution to revitalizing the economic cycle by valuing local products, especially cherries, through the organization of exhibitions and dedicated halls. The outlines of the program for this edition were also presented, which will be characterized by a diversity of spaces between artistic and heritage performances, the crowning of the Cherry Blossom Queen, along with the popular village, the Tbourida spaces, and exhibitions, with the inclusion of a special space for children, in a step that aims to expand the audience base and enhance the festival's attractiveness. In a related context, the interveners praised the efforts made by the various security services, local authorities, and sector partners to ensure a well-organized event that keeps pace with the expected large turnout, emphasizing the importance of the involvement of all institutional actors, especially the elected councils, to add a regional dimension that enhances the radiance of this event. This year's edition has a special character, as the governor of the province oversees its various details directly, with a view to presenting a renewed version that carries a number of surprises and lives up to the expectations of visitors, thereby enhancing the position of the Cherry Blossom Festival as a prominent cultural event at the national and international levels.
