Tunis Medina Festival

The Tunis Medina Festival is the festival of Ramadan nights in Tunis: after the fast is broken, the UNESCO-listed medina hosts concerts of Tunisian and Arab music in its palaces and halls. It has been held every year since 1984, organised by the association that bears its name. The latest edition, the 42nd, took place from 21 February to 15 March 2026. Ramadan 2027 is expected from 8 February to 9 March, following the lunar calendar: the festival will fall within those weeks, on dates still to be announced.

Nights in the medina

The repertoire ranges from Sufi song to tarab, the great classical Arab song tradition, by way of malouf, Tunisia's Arab-Andalusian music, Oriental music and Tunisian song, with the occasional excursion into jazz. In 2025, the 41st edition brought together 28 shows between 4 and 28 March.

The venues, in the medina and at its gates, are part of the experience:

• the Théâtre municipal, where the opening night is held;
• Dar Lasram, a historic house in the medina;
• the Sidi Mehrez zawiya, a shrine in the medina;
• the Tahar Haddad cultural club and the Bir Lahjar cultural centre, two medina venues.

The 2026 edition

The 42nd edition opened on Saturday 21 February 2026 at 10 pm local time at the Théâtre municipal, with singer Zied Mehdi and his show "Fi Ryadh Al Achikin", "In the Gardens of Lovers". The same evening, the Tahar Haddad club launched its "Ramadan Nights" with a tarab evening by Mohamed Ali Chebil.

Around the festival, other Tunis venues held their own evenings: the Tunisian National Theatre on Place Halfaouine from 5 to 10 March, the El Bachia madrasa from 6 to 13 March, and the Bardo cultural centre from 6 to 15 March.

Visiting Tunis during Ramadan

The rhythm. During Ramadan, days are quieter and the city comes alive in the evening, after the fast is broken at sunset. The 2026 opening night began at 10 pm. Site hours change too: the Bardo Museum opens 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, the Carthage site 8 am to 5 pm. Our Ramadan and public holidays 2027 guide explains what changes, and our customs in Tunisia guide covers what is expected of visitors.

Weather. In February and March, average highs in Tunis range from 17 to 19°C, good weather for walking in the medina.

Time zone. Tunisia is on UTC+1 all year round: during Ramadan 2027, it is 1 hour ahead of London.

Where to stay. To walk back after the concerts, the three medina houses chosen by Sabaro are the most convenient: Dar El Jeld near the Kasbah, Palais Bayram near the Zitouna, and Dar Ben Gacem. Our Tunis and the Roman sites page covers the medina by day.

The dates of Ramadan and of the festival that ends it are on our Ramadan 2027 and Eid al-Fitr 2027 pages.