Tunisian music meets Western piano at Hammamet Ramadan festival

HAMMAMET, Tunisia – The International Cultural Centre of Hammamet, better known as Dar Sebastien, will host a new edition of its much-anticipated Ramadan celebration “Au Clair de la Lune” from March 2 to 8, reaffirming its commitment to championing Tunisian music in all its richness and diversity.

Held under the evocative theme “In the Shadow of Maison Sebastien,” the 2026 edition places Tunisian musical identity firmly at its heart, while opening an imaginative dialogue with Western classical traditions. The event continues a growing artistic tradition that honours Tunisia’s Mediterranean and Saharan influences and reinterprets them through contemporary expression.

This year’s programme explores a striking concept: the “Tunisification” of the piano. By blending European harmonic techniques with the spiritual depth of Eastern maqams, the festival seeks to reshape the Western instrument into a vehicle for Tunisian musical expression. The result is an artistic encounter where tradition and innovation meet, producing a soundscape that feels at once rooted and exploratory.

Since its launch in 2019, “Au Clair de la Lune” has developed into a distinctive fixture of Tunisia’s cultural calendar. Conceived as both an artistic and spiritual experience, it resonates with the contemplative atmosphere of Ramadan, when evenings become moments of reflection, gathering and shared emotion. Within this setting, music is presented not merely as entertainment but as a bridge between generations and a reflection of collective memory.

The 2026 edition will feature celebrated Tunisian artists including Ahmed Jelmam, Mohamed Jebali and Asma Ben Ahmed, each bringing their own interpretation of heritage and modernity.

Performances such as “Hiyam … Passion of Hearts” and “Tsaltina” promise to guide audiences through deeply expressive musical journeys shaped by Tunisian rhythms, poetic lyricism and contemporary sensibilities. Other evenings will unfold through choral works, reinterpretations of Mediterranean narratives and new compositions that draw inspiration from both local traditions and broader global influences.

Organisers describe the festival as an immersive encounter in which stage and audience engage in a living exchange. Listening itself becomes central to the experience, inviting reflection and dialogue. In the elegant surroundings of Dar Sebastien, long associated with artistic innovation and Mediterranean cultural exchange, the event aspires to weave together the past and the present, the local and the universal.

By situating Tunisian music within a broader artistic conversation while remaining faithful to its distinctive character, “Au Clair de la Lune” 2026 offers a compelling portrait of a living musical heritage. As Ramadan evenings settle over Hammamet, Dar Sebastien once again becomes a space where Tunisian music resonates with renewed vitality, illuminating both memory and modern creativity under the night sky.