Rabat's book fair dates

Rabat’s International Book and Publishing Fair is scheduled to run from April 30 to May 10, 2026, in a key event during the city’s UNESCO World Book Capital year. (internationalpublishers.org) The fair is the 31st edition of the event, and Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication said it will be held at the OLM Souissi venue in Rabat. France is this year’s guest of honor. (internationalpublishers.org; en.hespress.com) Organizers also said the 2026 edition will pay tribute to Ibn Battuta, the 14th-century Moroccan traveler, as Rabat uses the fair to draw publishers, writers, thinkers and artists from abroad. (en.hespress.com) Rabat’s World Book Capital year officially starts on April 23, 2026, which is World Book and Copyright Day. UNESCO named Rabat the 2026 capital in October 2024. (unesco.org) UNESCO said Rabat was chosen for its 54 publishing houses, its growing number of bookstores and its work on literacy, especially for women, young people and underserved communities. The agency also called the city’s fair the third-largest international book and publishing fair in Africa. (unesco.org) The city’s local program is broader than the fair itself. Commissioner General Latifa Mouftakir said Rabat will stage 342 events across 12 themes, with activities beginning April 24. (qna.org.qa) Those events include open reading sessions, literary cafés, exhibitions, mobile libraries, professional conferences, training courses and workshops. Mouftakir said the program will also take books into hospitals, correctional facilities, orphanages, youth centers, bus stations, parks and public squares. (qna.org.qa) The fair itself has been running since 1987 and is Morocco’s largest literary event, according to organizers cited by Hespress. In 2026, it will serve as Rabat’s biggest international publishing gathering as the city begins its year under the UNESCO label. (en.hespress.com; unesco.org)