Mawazine 2025: ElGrandeToto Makes History as First Moroccan on OLM Souissi Stage
On June 28, 2025, the Mawazine Festival—Rythmes du Monde is poised to host a performance that transcends a typical concert booking, marking a pivotal moment for Moroccan music. ElGrandeToto, a prominent Morocco-born-and-raised artist, is scheduled to take the OLM Souissi stage as the opening act for American rapper Lil Baby. This event is not merely another entry in the festival’s illustrious lineup; it represents a significant departure from the OLM Souissi stage’s traditional booking policy, which has historically featured exclusively international performers.
The significance of this milestone cannot be overstated. It underscores the burgeoning global recognition and commercial viability of music produced entirely within Morocco, signaling a potential shift in Mawazine‘s long-standing approach to integrating local talent on its most prestigious platform. ElGrandeToto’s performance highlights a moment where homegrown artistry breaks through established barriers, setting a new precedent for Moroccan musicians on the international stage.
Mawazine Festival: Africa's Premier Musical Showcase
Mawazine, officially known as “Mawazine-Rythmes du Monde,” stands as one of the world’s largest and most celebrated music festivals. Held under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, its royal endorsement underscores its national importance and access to significant resources. Since its inception in 2001 as a modest cultural initiative, the festival has rapidly evolved into Africa’s premier musical showcase. The festival explicitly champions Morocco’s values of tolerance, openness, respect, and dialogue, positioning itself as a pillar of cultural diplomacy that bridges continents through music.
The festival’s mission, managed by the Association Maroc Cultures, aims to transform Rabat and Salé into a vibrant cultural crossroads where traditional Moroccan rhythms seamlessly blend with contemporary global sounds. The strategic adoption of “Rhythms of the World” as a subtitle early in its history clearly signaled its ambitious international scope. The Association’s commitment extends beyond staging concerts, focusing on democratizing world-class entertainment without compromising artistic quality and fostering cultural dialogue.
The festival’s immense reach is evident in its astonishing attendance figures. From attracting thousands in its early editions, Mawazine grew to host over two million attendees by 2019. The 19th edition in 2024 further solidified its global standing, drawing a record-breaking attendance that surpassed 2.5 million festival-goers. Spanning 7 stages with 90+ acts, Mawazine achieves the world’s highest attendee-per-stage ratio. This massive turnout confirms Mawazine’s position as one of the most attended music festivals worldwide, highlighting the unparalleled platform it offers to performing artists.
Calvin Harris – Live at Mawazine Festival, Rabat, Morocco (OLM Soussi Stage) | Over 200,000 in Attendance
Mawazine's OLM Souissi Stage: A Global Music Stronghold
The OLM Souissi stage is consistently regarded as the “stronghold of international music” and the primary venue for popular gatherings at Mawazine. Its traditional booking policy has almost exclusively featured international performers, attracting the most famous and anticipated artists from around the globe.
Past performers include iconic names such as Avicii, Black Eyed Peas, Bruno Mars, David Guetta, Future, J Balvin, Julio Iglesias, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Usher, and Whitney Houston. Last year, the 2024 edition saw performances from Nicki Minaj, who alone drew approximately 200,000 people, alongside Metro Boomin, ATEEZ, Central Cee, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, and Calvin Harris. The 2025 lineup further reinforces this international focus, featuring Afrojack, 50 Cent, Becky G, Kid Cudi, Aespa, Will Smith, Wizkid, Lost Frequencies, Lil Baby and ElGrandeToto.
Travis Scott’s Full Live Performance at Mawazine, OLM Soussi Stage, Rabat, Morocco (2019)
ElGrandeToto: The Artist Breaking Barriers
ElGrandeToto’s performance is set for Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 9:30 PM, on the OLM Souissi stage, directly preceding Lil Baby‘s act. This specific timing and pairing are critical, positioning him as a direct support act for a major international headliner on the festival’s most prominent stage. This arrangement represents a significant shift from the stage’s traditional booking policy, which had previously featured exclusively international performers.
The inclusion of ElGrandeToto on the OLM Souissi stage can be understood as a strategic move, possibly a response to consistent public pressure. For years, Mawazine has faced widespread criticism within Morocco regarding its booking policies, particularly the perceived marginalization of Moroccan artists on major stages. Local artists have often been confined to smaller venues like the Salé stage, while foreign stars commanded significant fees and prime performance slots. Given the festival’s operation under royal patronage, maintaining public legitimacy and support is crucial for its continued success and funding.
Furthermore, ElGrandeToto’s unique “Morocco-born-and-raised” status elevates his achievement beyond that of Moroccan diaspora artists. While artists of Moroccan ancestry who developed their careers abroad have performed on this stage, ElGrandeToto’s entire artistic journey, rise to prominence, and global appeal originated within Morocco. This signifies a profound recognition of homegrown talent on the festival’s most prestigious international stage, validating the strength and global appeal of music produced entirely within Morocco. This pathway to international recognition is distinct and could inspire a new generation of Moroccan artists to develop their careers locally, fostering a stronger domestic music industry.
Tens of thousands of fans packed the OLM Soussi Stage for ElGrandeToto’s historic performance! (28 June 2025) Early reports suggest over 300,000 attendees witnessed ElGrandeToto’s opening set for American rapper Lil Baby on the OLM Souissi stage—though these crowd figures remain unverified by official sources.
ElGrandeToto: The Rise of a Moroccan Music Icon
ElGrandeToto has achieved remarkable success in the digital realm, boasting over 1 billion total streams on Spotify, the first Moroccan to do so. This figure is a testament to his immense popularity and global reach. His streaming success is diversified, with 522 million streams as a lead artist, 312 million as a solo artist, and 492 million as a featured artist, indicating strong collaborative appeal alongside his individual hits. Key tracks contributing to his dominance include “love nwantiti (CKay feat. ElGrande Toto) – North African Remix” (over 172 million streams), “Qui sait? (Niro feat. ElGrandeToto)” (over 87 million streams), “Ojos Sin Ver (Morad feat. ElGrandeToto” (over 54 million streams), and “BLUE LOVE” (over 38 million streams). He has also released several successful albums, including “Caméléon” and “27”.
His talent has been recognized with significant accolades. In 2020, he was ranked the eighth most-streamed Arab artist in MENA on Deezer and earned the “Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist” title at the 2020 African Entertainment Awards USA. His prominence was further solidified in 2024 when he received three prestigious awards at the inaugural Billboard Arabia Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Artist of the Year – Arabic Hip-Hop, Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male Artist, and Top Arabic Hip-Hop Song for his hit single “Blue Love”.
Beyond Mawazine, ElGrandeToto has a burgeoning international touring presence. His upcoming concerts include dates in Nyon, Switzerland (L’Asse, July 2025), and Corcelles-les-Monts, France (Parc Combe à la Serpent, September 2025). He has also performed at major international festivals such as Dour Festival (Belgium), Paléo Festival Nyon (Switzerland), Osheaga (Canada), and Les Ardentes (Belgium). His past city performances include Montreal (Canada), Paris (France), and Marseille (France).
ElGrandeToto’s unprecedented success in streaming and awards provides a strong commercial justification for his performance on the OLM Souissi stage. This stage is designed for “the most famous and anticipated artists” and can draw “hundreds of thousands festival-goers”. ElGrandeToto’s over 1 billion total streams and prestigious Billboard Arabia awards clearly demonstrate his significant commercial appeal and ability to command a massive audience. His inclusion is not merely a symbolic gesture to appease critics of local artist marginalization, but a pragmatic decision based on his proven ability to draw massive crowds, a characteristic traditionally associated with the international headliners on that stage. This suggests that future Moroccan artists seeking OLM Souissi slots will need to demonstrate similar levels of commercial success and audience reach, potentially shifting the criteria for local artists to access major stages from purely symbolic representation to proven market demand.
ElGrandeToto performing one of his signature songs ‘BLUE LOVE’ LIVE in Agadir, Morocco, as part of his Twenty-Seven Tour (for his album ’27’)
Moroccan Roots, Global Stages: The Diaspora's Contribution
While ElGrandeToto’s Morocco-born-and-raised status marks a first for the OLM Souissi stage, the festival has previously showcased artists of Moroccan ancestry who built careers abroad—like French Montana (2018) and Lartiste (2019). These diaspora acts represent another dimension of Moroccan talent on the world stage.
Serving as cultural bridges, they’ve amplified Moroccan heritage through globally recognized platforms. Their past OLM appearances acknowledged artists with Moroccan ties, though their paths required breakthrough in Western markets first. This makes ElGrandeToto’s homegrown triumph a historic turning point for Morocco’s own hip-hop ecosystem.
In a powerful tribute, Toto dedicated his performance to Moroccan hip-hop’s pioneers: This isn’t just my concert, it’s for Aminoffice [one of Morocco’s first rappers], Don Bigg, Muslim, Casa Crew, Lmoutchou, Stromy, Dizzy DROS, Shayfeen, Draganov, L’Morphine, Fat Mizzo… “this concert is mine alone, this is for Moroccan Rap.”
Highlights from ElGrandeToto’s live performance at Mohamed V Stadium, Casablanca | With a capacity from tens of thousands, this marks one of the biggest shows in Morocco’s history—and Toto is the first Moroccan rapper to ever sell it out!
Mawazine: Debates on Local vs. International Representation
Despite its global success and royal patronage, Mawazine has faced consistent and vocal criticism within Morocco. A primary point of contention revolves around the perceived unbalanced and unfair representation of Moroccan artists. Critics argue that the festival disproportionately favors foreign stars, allocating major stages in Rabat, like OLM Souissi, to international acts, while Moroccan performers are largely confined to the Salé stage, which is considered secondary and rarely broadcast live. This spatial and media separation creates a symbolic divide, reinforcing the idea that local artists are of lesser value even within their own country.
Moroccan artists and cultural professionals have openly denounced this as a “cultural caste system” and a “systematic exclusion” of Moroccan voices on main stages. Concerns have also been raised about the “obscene” expenses on foreign artists, with fees reportedly ranging between 5 and 7 million dirhams for a single performance. This expenditure is often contrasted with pressing national priorities such as health, education, and youth employment. The festival’s funding, frequently sourced from state-owned companies, has been a frequent target of this criticism. Logistical issues for local media, such as delayed press accreditations and limited support, have further deepened the backlash.
Mawazine operates with a complex, almost contradictory, dual identity. On one hand, it presents itself as a globally recognized festival aiming to showcase “Rhythms of the World” and democratize world-class entertainment. This aspiration drives its pursuit of international headliners and massive attendance figures. On the other hand, the festival faces significant internal criticism for its perceived neglect of its own national artistic heritage on its main stages. This highlights a significant disconnect between its stated mission and its perceived practice, indicating that this internal conflict is not merely an artistic debate but also carries socio-economic and political dimensions.
ElGrandeToto’s performance on the OLM Souissi stage directly challenges this long-standing narrative of Moroccan artists being relegated to smaller, less prominent platforms. It offers a tangible and high-profile example of a home-grown artist breaking through the perceived barrier of the OLM Souissi stage, which was previously seen as exclusively for foreign acts. His inclusion represents an adaptive response to the tension between the festival’s international aspirations and its national responsibilities. It is a move to demonstrate inclusivity and to showcase a successful example of Moroccan talent that has achieved international standing. However, the systemic issues of unequal representation and funding priorities for local artists suggest that this milestone is a step in a longer journey towards greater equity, rather than a resolved policy shift.
This achievement could set an important precedent, potentially increasing public and artistic expectations for more equitable representation of Moroccan talent on all stages, particularly OLM Souissi. It aligns with calls for “clear, fair standards that uphold Moroccan culture” and suggestions for “public participation or rotating curators” in the artist selection process. ElGrandeToto’s milestone might empower more Moroccan artists to demand main stage slots, fostering a more inclusive and representative festival in the future, ultimately shaping the festival’s evolution.
ElGrandeToto – Mghayer (Official Music Video) | Released in 2021, This is Toto’s most-viewed solo music video and one of the most-watched Moroccan rap songs on YouTube (around 130M views)!
Conclusion: Paving the Way for Future Generations
ElGrandeToto’s performance at Mawazine 2025 is far more than a personal triumph for the artist; it stands as a landmark event for Moroccan music and cultural representation. By taking the OLM Souissi stage as the opening act for Lil Baby, ElGrandeToto directly challenges the traditional hierarchy and booking policies of a stage long reserved for international headliners. This signals a potential, albeit cautious, shift in the festival’s approach to integrating homegrown talent on its most prestigious platform.
This achievement is poised to inspire a new generation of Moroccan artists, demonstrating that international acclaim and main-stage recognition are attainable for locally developed talent, without necessarily requiring relocation or external validation from European or North American markets. It encourages a critical re-evaluation of cultural investment and representation within national events, fostering a stronger sense of national pride in local artistic achievements. Ultimately, ElGrandeToto’s milestone serves as a powerful symbol of Morocco’s evolving cultural landscape, where local talent is increasingly recognized and celebrated on a global stage, potentially paving the way for a more balanced and inclusive future for Mawazine and Moroccan arts.
