Casablanca's cultural life is spread across old cinemas, foundation museums, small galleries, a French cultural institute and the walls of the city itself. Some of the best-known places are not open at all: the new Grand Théâtre on Place Mohammed V is finished but has not opened, and the Anciens Abattoirs are waiting for restoration. This guide says what you can actually visit, what is closed, and how to find out what is on. For the buildings themselves see our Art Deco guide, for the Villa des Arts see its own guide, and for Jazzablanca and L'Boulevard see our festivals guide.
Arts and culture in Casablanca, venue by venue
Grand Théâtre de Casablanca (not yet open)
Performing arts. The large new theatre on Place Mohammed V, designed by 2Portzamparc with Rachid Andaloussi, has an 1,800-seat concert hall, a 600-seat theatre and a 300-seat music room, and is built for theatre, dance, music and musicals (Casa Aménagement). The building is finished, but as of September 2025 it had still not opened to the public, had no opening date and no programme, because who will run it had not been settled (Premium Travel News, 29 Sep 2025). We have no newer confirmation, so check before planning around it. You can still see the building from the square.
Les Anciens Abattoirs (closed for restoration)
Cultural space. The former slaughterhouses in Hay Mohammadi stopped working in 2002 and were listed as a historic monument in 2003. From 2009 they ran as a cultural space, the Fabrique Culturelle, which hosted more than 200 artists and over 400,000 visitors in three years. Today they are waiting for restoration: in August 2026 the city's development company Casa Aménagement was choosing a project manager for the works, which plan artists' residencies, galleries and workspaces (le360, 20 Aug 2026). The site is not a place you can simply turn up to. It opened partly, in its secured section only, during the heritage days run by the association Casamémoire in May 2025 (le360, 10 May 2025).
Cinéma Rialto
Cinema. The Rialto, at 35 rue Mohammed El Qori, was completed in 1929 to a design by Pierre Jabin and seated about 1,350. Édith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Dizzy Gillespie and Josephine Baker all performed there (Wikipedia). Al Jazeera reported in November 2024 that it still operates as a cinema, but other sources say it was open until 2019, so check whether there are screenings before you go. Our Art Deco guide covers the building as part of a downtown walk.
Ciné-théâtre Lutetia and the Empire
Cinema. The Lutetia first opened in 1953, fell into disrepair in the early 2000s, received renovation funding from the Moroccan film centre (CCM) in 2019 and has been restored; it now runs as a multipurpose cultural centre with a programme of Moroccan films (Al Jazeera, 16 Nov 2024). The tourist office lists screenings, festivals and talks with film professionals (Visit Casablanca); check its listings directly. The Empire on Boulevard Mohammed V, built in 1927, has been closed since 2005; its new operators hope to reopen it in the first quarter of 2027 as a single-screen cinema and venue with a focus on Moroccan film (le360, 23 Aug 2026). Until then it is closed.
Institut français de Casablanca
Cultural centre. The French institute at 121 and 123 boulevard Zerktouni runs one of the city's busiest programmes: films at its Théâtre 121, exhibitions in Galerie 121, theatre, talks and concerts, plus a media library. Films are mostly shown in French, with some in the original language with French subtitles, so it suits French speakers best. In June 2026 it ran free open-air screenings, Cinéma sous les étoiles, in Anfa Park. Tickets are sold at the institute's desk or on its website, and it warns that the programme may change (Institut français agenda, April to July 2026).
Contemporary galleries
Contemporary art. Loft Art Gallery, founded in 2009 in the Triangle d'Or district, started with modern and contemporary Moroccan art and now also shows artists from across Africa and Europe (Art Basel). The tourist office's Art Circuit adds the David Bloch Art Gallery, Galerie Venise Cadre, the independent art space Le Cube and Galerie 38 (Visit Casablanca). Commercial galleries change exhibitions often and some close between shows, so check what is on and the opening hours before you go. The Villa des Arts has its own guide.
Abderrahman Slaoui Museum
Museum. Open since May 2012 and named after the businessman and collector Abderrahman Slaoui, who died in 2001, this small foundation museum holds what is described as the largest collection of Orientalist posters in Morocco, along with Moroccan gold and Amazigh silver jewellery, paintings by Mohamed Ben Ali R'bati and Jacques Majorelle, and crystal objects (Wikipedia). It is also on the tourist office's Art Circuit. Check current hours before you go.
L'Uzine in Aïn Sebaâ
Cultural space. A cultural space in the industrial district of Aïn Sebaâ, at 19 boulevard Mouatamid Ibnou Abbad, set up by the Touria and Abdelaziz Tazi Foundation (Wikipedia gives 2014). It hosts concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, debates, dance and theatre, including a yearly arts programme during Ramadan. It is a long way from the centre, so it is worth checking that something is on before making the trip.
Sbagha Bagha and the city's murals
Street art. Sbagha Bagha is a street-art festival that began in 2013, run by the association EAC-L'boulvart (the team behind L'Boulevard, covered in our festivals guide) and started by Salah Malouli. Its fifth edition, from 25 June to 1 July 2018, gave walls to the artists Werc, Roa, Danae and Ed (le360, 22 Jun 2018); in July 2019 artists from several countries painted walls and large buildings across the city (Euronews). We have found no confirmed edition since 2019, so do not plan a trip around it. Murals from past editions remain on city walls. In spring 2026 the Institut français listed a 3 hour 30 minute street-art tour by bike, guided by artists from the association Alouane Bladi; check whether it runs again.
How to find what's on
Planning. There is no single listings guide. The Institut français publishes a programme every few months on its website and sends a weekly newsletter. The tourist office site, visitcasablanca.ma, lists venues and an art circuit. For cinemas and galleries, check each venue's own pages or call. For festivals and tickets, see our festivals guide. Buy tickets from the venue or its official site.
Fit it into a private day
Booking. If you want to see a gallery, a museum or an old cinema as part of your day, we can build a private guided day in Casablanca around it, with your driver taking you between venues. You buy any tickets from the venue. We confirm the plan and the price in writing before you book.
Want a culture day in Casablanca?
Tell us which galleries, museums or old cinemas you want to see, and we plan a private guided day around them, with your driver taking you between venues. Tickets are bought from the venues. You get the plan and a fixed price in writing within 24 hours.
Ask about a private culture day
Sources
- Casa Aménagement: Grand Theatre of Casablanca project page
- Premium Travel News: why the Grand Théâtre has still not opened (29 Sep 2025)
- le360: Casablanca's former slaughterhouses move closer to restoration (20 Aug 2026)
- le360: the Anciens Abattoirs reopen for the heritage days (10 May 2025)
- Wikipedia: Cinema Rialto
- Al Jazeera: the fall and rise of Morocco's cinemas (16 Nov 2024)
- Visit Casablanca: Cinéma Lutetia
- le360: Casablanca's Empire cinema set to reopen (23 Aug 2026)
- Institut français de Casablanca: cultural agenda, April to July 2026 (PDF)
- Art Basel: Loft Art Gallery
- Visit Casablanca: Art Circuit
- Wikipedia: Abderrahman Slaoui Museum
- Wikipedia: L'Uzine
- le360: the fifth Sbagha Bagha (22 Jun 2018)
- Euronews: street art brings a pop of colour to Casablanca (23 Jul 2019)