OASIS, MOROCCO
When we say ‘desert’, we don’t mean in the sandy-wilderness sense of the word. Nope: hidden outside Marrakech is Oasis, as apt a name for a festival as we’ve come across. Because, yes, it is indeed a spring in a desert region (it’s certainly not dry – there is even a champagne bar), but it also fits that other definition of oasis: a refuge, a change from the usual. And this festival is anything but usual.
For starters, the site is a five-star hotel. Taking over the grounds of the eco-luxe Fellah Hotel, Oasis has a truly boutique feel – the three main stages are either set next to shimmering infinity pools, decked in bamboo, or, in the case of the largest, set on the pool (fear not: it’s boarded over). Then there is the chic Middle Eastern boho styling: lanterns line the pathways, Berber rugs are thrown down to create chillout areas, shisha pipe smoke hangs heavy in the air. It all makes for a festival-meets-holiday-meets-desert-camp kind of feel. Which is a good thing.
It’s not possible to stay at Fellah during the festival (it rolls till 7am, after all, and can you imagine trying to sleep during a techno set?), but a free shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes from many hotels in Marrakech. Spend the day relaxing by the pool at your hotel, then spend the night raving by the pool at Fellah. And rave you shall. The line-up is DJ-driven and mixes crowdpleasing big-hitters with underground nous. Acts for this year are yet to be confirmed, but 2O18’s highlights included sets by the legendary Carl Cox, Hï Ibiza resident Black Coffee and Berghain Berlin’s Ben Klock.
Not that this festival is all about the music, fabulous though that is. A daytime programme of free yoga classes, talks and art exhibitions means you can feed your body and mind. You can quite literally feed your body, too: Oasis has strong links to the local food scene, and market areas host stalls from the city’s best restaurants. Oh, and did we mention the champagne bar?
Though as the sun sets and the music kicks in, you realise that this blissful festival’s true USP is the huge starry desert skies. Champagne in hand, next to a glistening pool, the temperature still warm enough to waft around in sleeveless dresses, hours of good times ahead – suddenly, the stars come out all at once. And being out in the desert is exactly where you want to be. Magic.
FEED YOUR BODY and MIND WITH a DAYTIME PROGRAMME of FREE YOGA CLASSES and TALKS
Oasis, 13–15 September; theoasisfest.com. Tickets from around £126 for the three-day festival. Accommodation isn’t included, but there are free shuttles to and from the festival site from various points and partner hotels in and around Marrakech. If you want to stay on, Fellah Hotel has doubles from around £8O, B&B; fellah-hotel.com; or Riad Farnatchi from £23O, B&B; riadfarnatchi.com