Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting: from dawn to sunset most Moroccans eat, drink and smoke nothing, and the day is rearranged around the evening meal that breaks the fast, called ftour in Morocco. This page is about Casablanca in particular: the expected 2027 dates and how Morocco announces them, office and shop hours, Hassan II Mosque tour times in Ramadan, eating in public and alcohol, the evenings after ftour, Laylat al-Qadr and Eid al-Fitr. For the country-wide picture, see our general guide to travelling in Morocco during Ramadan.
Ramadan in Casablanca, from the dates to Eid
When Ramadan 2027 is expected
Dates. Astronomical calculations put the start of Ramadan 2027 on about 8 February, with the month lasting 29 or 30 days (The National, citing the UAE's astronomers). Morocco sets its own dates by moon sighting: the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (the Habous ministry) watches for the crescent after sunset on the 29th of Shaaban and announces the result that evening. In 2026 it did so on the evening of 18 February, and fasting began the next day (Hespress). Treat 8 February 2027 as an estimate and check the announcement before you fix your dates.
No Ramadan clock change any more
Time. Until 2026 Morocco ran on GMT+1 and moved its clocks back an hour for Ramadan, then forward again afterwards. Decree 2.26.530, published in the Bulletin officiel on 29 June 2026, returned the country to GMT for good from 20 September 2026 and repealed the 2018 rule; the press noted that this time it is not a temporary Ramadan change (FNH). Older guides that tell you to expect a clock change in Ramadan are out of date.
Office hours, shops and traffic
Hours. Government offices work shorter days in Ramadan. In 2026 public administrations worked straight through from 9:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday, with flexible hours on Friday for the midday prayer (Bladi, 10 Feb 2026); the 2027 hours are announced each year, so check. Food shops open late in the morning, close for much of the day and reopen in the evening until very late (World Travel Guide). Plan anything official for the morning. Traffic gets worse too: congestion and road accidents rise in Ramadan, with the worst jams at rush hour, when offices let out at similar times (Bladi, 16 Mar 2024). Leave plenty of time for any drive late in the afternoon, and avoid a train or flight connection that depends on crossing the city just before sunset.
The Hassan II Mosque in Ramadan
Visiting. The mosque's guided tours run on a shorter Ramadan timetable. The foundation lists tours at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 and 14:00 from Saturday to Thursday, and at 9:00 and 14:15 on Fridays, against the usual morning and afternoon slots the rest of the year (fmh2.ma). The museum next to it opens 9:00 to 15:00 in Ramadan. Shoulders, torso and knees must be covered; shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed. Check the timetable on fmh2.ma for the year you travel.
Eating and drinking in public
Etiquette. GOV.UK advises that eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public in the daytime during Ramadan may cause offence, and that hotels and restaurants serving food during fasting hours may seat you apart from Muslim guests. Eat indoors, carry water in a bag rather than in your hand, and keep snacks for the car or your hotel. Separately, Article 222 of Morocco's Penal Code punishes 'a person commonly known to be Muslim' who breaks the fast in a public place without a reason accepted by Islam, with one to six months in prison and a fine (text as reported by Morocco World News, March 2024). Its wording concerns Muslims; there has been public debate about repealing it.
Restaurants and alcohol
Food and drink. Alcohol in Morocco is sold in licensed venues, and drinking in the street is illegal (GOV.UK). In Ramadan, rules on sales are set by the authorities and vary by city. A long-standing Interior Ministry practice, dating from 1967, stops sales in tourist establishments and spirits shops to Muslims (Bladi, April 2022); some nightclub owners close for the whole month (Bladi, January 2026); and in 2026 Fès allowed tourist venues to serve foreign visitors (Bladi, February 2026). We have no confirmed rule for Casablanca in 2027, so ask your hotel or restaurant before you go.
Ftour, harira and chebakia
Food and drink. The fast ends with the call to the Maghrib prayer at sunset. In Morocco the meal usually starts with dates and harira soup (Wikipedia). In the early afternoon Casablanca's bakeries and pastry shops fill with people buying bread, briouates and chebakia for the evening table (Bladi, May 2021). For what these dishes are and where to find them, see our Casablanca street food guide.
Evenings after ftour
Evenings. After ftour the streets fill and the cafés reopen. On the Corniche at Aïn Diab many cafés stay open until shour, the pre-dawn meal, and some venues in the city stay open late for groups after the evening Tarawih prayers (Le Matin, 7 Mar 2026). In 2026 the Ramdaniat WeCasablanca programme held evening events at the Sacré-Cœur cultural space from about 21:30, and Casamémoire ran night-time heritage walks (Le Matin). Programmes change each year, so check what is on in 2027.
Laylat al-Qadr
Religious calendar. Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Destiny, marks the revelation of the Quran. In Morocco it is observed on the 27th night of Ramadan. Thousands of worshippers gather on the Hassan II Mosque esplanade facing the Atlantic, and the King traditionally leads a religious vigil. Families dress up, and many children fast a full day for the first time (Bladi, 16 Mar 2026). If you are near the mosque that evening, expect very large crowds.
Eid al-Fitr
Religious calendar. Ramadan ends with Eid al-Fitr, which carries two paid days off in Morocco. One Moroccan guide expects Eid 2027 on Wednesday 10 March, with 10 and 11 March off, and notes the date is provisional (wafir.ma); The National gives 9 or 10 March depending on the length of the month. Like the start of Ramadan, the date is confirmed by moon sighting the evening before. Public offices close on both days.
A private day in Ramadan
Booking. Tell us your dates. If you are travelling during Ramadan, we plan the day around the fast.
Visiting Casablanca during Ramadan?
Tell us your dates and what you want to see. If you are travelling during Ramadan, we plan the day around the fast.
Sources
- The National: expected Ramadan 2027 and Eid al-Fitr dates (9 Sep 2026, updated 6 Oct 2026)
- Hespress: Morocco to begin Ramadan on Thursday, religious affairs ministry says (18 Feb 2026)
- FNH: Morocco returns permanently to GMT on 20 September 2026 (18 Sep 2026)
- Bladi: Ramadan 2026 hours in government offices (10 Feb 2026)
- World Travel Guide: shopping in Casablanca
- Fondation de la Mosquée Hassan II: paid guided tour, including Ramadan hours
- Fondation de la Mosquée Hassan II: museum visits, including Ramadan hours
- Morocco World News: debate over the law on public eating in Ramadan (14 Mar 2024)
- GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice, safety and security
- Bladi: sale of alcoholic drinks stopped during Ramadan (4 Apr 2022)
- Bladi: alcohol and nightclubs, the break before Ramadan (20 Jan 2026)
- Bladi: call to allow alcohol sales to tourists in Ramadan, after Fès (16 Feb 2026)
- Le Matin: after-ftour activities in Casablanca (7 Mar 2026)
- Wikipedia: Iftar
- Bladi: Ramadan boosts Casablanca bakery sales (9 May 2021)
- Bladi: Laylat al-Qadr in Morocco (16 Mar 2026)
- Wafir: Morocco public holidays 2026–2027 (updated 19 Aug 2026)
- Bladi: Ramadan traffic jams and accidents in Casablanca (16 Mar 2024)