Kasbah of the Oudayas hosts Urban Safar from 26 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 08:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSUrban Safar meets Rabat heritage
- Female Economy presents Urban Safar Rabat from 26 November 2026 at Place Oudaya in Rabat.
- The 2026 performance moves through the Kasbah of the Oudayas and Rabat Medina rather than using a conventional theatre.
- UNESCO records the Kasbah as part of Rabat’s World Heritage ensemble since 2012.
Kasbah of the Oudayas (Kasbah des Oudayas) in Rabat will host Urban Safar Rabat from 26 November to 5 December 2026. The immersive theatre project turns the kasbah and the adjoining Medina of Rabat into a route for performances rather than a single auditorium.
Urban Safar Rabat runs through the kasbah
Urban Safar Rabat is scheduled for ten performances during the period, with the official organiser page giving a daily time of 7.30pm to 10.30pm. The starting point is Place Oudaya, in front of EntrepĂ´t Moulay el Yazid, and the route continues through the Medina and the Kasbah of the Oudayas.
The production is presented by Dutch theatre company Female Economy in co-creation with Kabareh Cheikhats and Fondation HIBA. Its method places performers alongside local residents before the public performances, using their shared experiences as the basis for scenes encountered along the route. The organiser’s programme names the Rabat dates, starting location and participating organisations.
A walking performance in Rabat’s World Heritage area
The event is built around the physical character of the site. The official description places the audience behind doors, in squares and along narrow alleyways, while the local account describes a moving audience that walks with the performers from the Oudayas into the Medina.
This approach links the programme to a living residential quarter rather than treating the kasbah as a backdrop. The Kasbah of the Oudayas stands at the Bouregreg estuary and forms part of the World Heritage property covering Rabat’s modern capital and historic city, inscribed in 2012. The UNESCO record confirms that the kasbah lies within that protected perimeter.
The site combines fortified walls, residential lanes and public spaces. Those features explain why Urban Safar uses a journey through the neighbourhood: visitors will encounter changing surfaces and narrow passages instead of fixed rows of seats. The UNESCO heritage record places the Kasbah within Rabat’s World Heritage area since 2012.
Local residents shape the theatre route
Female Economy says the Rabat project follows an adoption method developed by artistic director Adelheid Roosen. In late October 2026, five Moroccan actors were due to spend two weeks with five local residents in Rabat’s Medina and kasbah, creating material for the performances.
The resulting format changes the practical meaning of a visit. The audience does not remain in one venue or view the neighbourhood from a distant stage. Instead, the route uses streets, thresholds, squares and homes connected with the participants. A report by Maisons du Maroc describes the performances as a three-hour walk beginning in the Oudayas and continuing into the Medina.
Visiting Kasbah of the Oudayas: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Urban Safar Rabat runs from 26 November to 5 December 2026, with the organiser listing performances from 7.30pm to 10.30pm.
- The meeting point is Place Oudaya in front of EntrepĂ´t Moulay el Yazid, and the performance route continues through the kasbah and the Medina of Rabat.
- The format requires walking through narrow alleyways, squares and residential streets rather than sitting in a conventional theatre.
- The kasbah is part of Rabat’s UNESCO World Heritage property, which was inscribed in 2012.
- Morocco’s official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and the national currency is the Moroccan dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Kasbah of the Oudayas on social platforms
These links open searches for Kasbah of the Oudayas on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Kasbah of the Oudayas
When does Urban Safar Rabat take place at Kasbah of the Oudayas?
Urban Safar Rabat runs from 26 November to 5 December 2026, with the route starting at Place Oudaya.
Where is Kasbah of the Oudayas and how do you get there?
The kasbah is in Rabat beside the Bouregreg estuary. Urban Safar begins at Place Oudaya in front of EntrepĂ´t Moulay el Yazid.
What is Kasbah of the Oudayas?
It is a fortified historic quarter with residential lanes and public spaces in Rabat. UNESCO places it within the city’s World Heritage property inscribed in 2012.
