People at the centre: MOGA 2024 was so much more than sun, sea, sounds and scenery

Today, MOGA takes the shape of an intimate yet international electronic music festival, combining beautiful natural settings, high-value line-ups and wellness activities such as surfing, yoga, food, art and talks. The beach-based, sunset-soaked festival continues to host events in Morocco as well, with a MOGA set to take place in Essaouira this October, the place where it all began. Fans of MOGA remain ardent in its offering, as one young attendee tells me on the approach: “There’s no festival like it”. With a reputation like this, it’s no surprise many within the crowd revealed they were attending their second or third edition this year.

Returners know what to expect from a MOGA line-up. With previous editions including Jayda G, Kerri Chandler, Jimi Jules, Lovefingers and Rafael Da Cruz — this year’s offering delivers a stellar electronic offering that rivals some of its larger competitors, without compromising on the treasured intimacy of smaller festivals. Making their MOGA debut this year are Dixon, afro-house aficionado Francis Mercier, rising French deep house artist Alex Wann, Dekmantel Soundsystem as well as returners, eclectic legend Acid Pauli, Atlassi, Retro Casseta, Pachanga Boys, Satori, Xinobi and Acid Arab.

As we draw closer to Praia de Morena on Friday evening, a parade of cars kick-up dust along the long, unlit roads. Out in this darkness, the soft glow of the festival appears on the horizon, shimmering in the evening light like a half-buried jewel. Getting out to walk on foot, festivalgoers descend towards it like moths and as a host of euphoric melodies slow out of the windows of passing cars. Upon entering the festival on the first night, the excitement in the air is tangible. It’s possible this frenetic energy was, in part, a response to the structural changes taking place at this year’s edition of MOGA; the festival is departing from its previous multi-venue format, instead having developed a fully-fledged festival site. As a result, MOGA has doubled its capacity — now expected to host 25,000 attendees across its sandy expanse.

The brand-new festival site consists of three stages on the banks of Praia de Morena’s seemingly endless stretch of wild blue ocean – its serenity is undercut by the general buzz of the festivalgoers, many of whom are adorned with glitter and gold clothing. Large crowds gather at the two many stages, evenly spread across the sand and eagerly engaging with those around them. Between the stages and stalls, there were pockets of decorative rugs punctuated by Moroccan floor cushions, umbrellas and lanterns, under which clusters of revellers gathered to shelter from the sun and sound.