Planning a trip
Hearing music in Algeria
The Festival of Ahaggar Arts is a state-backed annual event in Tamanrasset, the Hoggar mountain town. It earns its place as the surviving Saharan gathering for desert blues, set in country that doubles as Tassili rock art territory. Expect low concrete halls and open courtyards rather than a purpose-built auditorium. Elders come down from the plateau with imzad fiddles, and the soundtrack includes a wood fire and wind on tent canvas.
Go in the Saharan winter, December and January, when the Hoggar mountains are passable. From April to October the temperatures and sandstorms make travel inadvisable. Programming is irregular and tied to seasonal cultural calendars, so confirm dates before you book. The Tassili Festival in Djanet, held from late December to early January, is the largest annual programmed event nearby. Local Tuareg music is played in Tamanrasset year-round.
Fly to Algiers, then take an internal Air Algérie flight to Tamanrasset, about three hours. Djanet can also be reached via Algiers. Local guides are essential for the Hoggar national park, and permits are required. Of the three festivals in this corner of the Sahara, this is the safest to plan around: the Festival au Désert in Mali remains suspended and the Imzad Festival runs irregularly.
FAQ
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit the Festival of Ahaggar Arts in Tamanrasset?
December and January, the Saharan winter, when the Hoggar mountains are passable. Between April and October the heat and sandstorms make travel inadvisable. Programming is irregular and follows seasonal cultural calendars, so confirm dates before booking.
How do you get to Tamanrasset for the festival?
Fly to Algiers, then take an internal Air Algérie flight to Tamanrasset, which takes about three hours. You can also reach Djanet via Algiers. Local guides are essential for the Hoggar national park, and permits are required.
What music is played at the Festival of Ahaggar Arts?
Tuareg and trans-Saharan music: desert blues, assouf and the imzad, a fiddle strung with a single horsehair string. Participants come from Mali, Niger, Libya and Mauritania, and the setting is low concrete halls and open courtyards.
Pulse
Electronic music in Algeria
Algeria is on Pulse, the Sonic Paths map and radio of African electronic music: electronic music in Algiers (techno, 3 artists and collectives).
More across the continent: African electronic music on Pulse and every dated festival.