Morocco’s Mawazine among biggest festivals in the world

A BBC report also established Austria’s Donauinselfest as the biggest with some 3.3 million people attending the event across three days in 2015. The festival has the Guinness World Record for biggest attendance.

According to BBC News, a report by British research and consultancy agency CGA said Mawazine had more than 277 000 visitors per day in 2016 when it managed to pull an audience of more 2.5 million over nine days.

Mawazine first took place in Rabat in 2001. Over the years it has grown to attract international acts such as Kanye West, Whitney Houston and Tony Allen. This year’s edition, which concluded on 30 June, featured Bruno Mars, Jamiroquai, The Weeknd, Martin Garrix, The Chainsmokers, Texas and Moroccan-born artist French Montana, among many others.

The festival had a tragic incident in 2009 when 11 people were killed in a stampede after a free show on 24 May. A fence collapsed when more than 70 000 spectators tried to leave the Hay Nahda stadium in a hurry. Among the deceased were five women, four men and two children.

Other major festivals around the world included in the BBC report include Summerfest (US), Glastonbury (UK), Woodstock Poland, Rock in Rio (Brazil) and Exit Festival (Serbia).