Sonic Pluriverse Festival has set its 2026 edition at Berlin’s Haus der Kulturen der Welt, with a program dedicated to Gnawa music culture. The festival points to Gnawa’s Sahelian roots as a lens for connections throughout North Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe, and the Afro-diasporic world.
Curator Alaa Zouiten has scheduled five weekends that bring together Gnawa artists with practitioners from flamenco, tarantella, santería, vodoo, and candomblé. These exchanges are envisioned as reflections of shared history that has taken distinct forms across these traditions. The lineup also highlights contemporary women’s voices in Gnawa communities, with an emphasis on shifting expectations around gender roles.
The programming extends beyond concerts to include parades, rituals, DJ sets, workshops, panels, and artistic residencies.
Dates
Fri., 26 June, Salif Keita & Sat., 27 June, Justin Adams & Mauro Durante
Thur., 2 July, Baaba Maal & Sat., 4 July
Fri., 10 July, Asmaa Hamzaoui & Bnat Timbouktou & Sat., 11 July, Moonlight Benjamin, Bab L’Bluz
Fri., 17 July, Gnawa Diffusion & Sat., 18 July
Sat., 1 August as part of Bwa Kayiman
The full program will be announced in the course of the spring.
More at hkw.de/en/
Haus der Kulturen der Welt photo by Mathias Völzke/HKW
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central