Where Casablanca Gathers on 31 October
On Saturday 31 October 2026, Morocco observes Unity Day — Aid Al Wahda — for the first time. The holiday marks UN Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on 31 October 2025, which described genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as possibly "the most feasible solution" for Western Sahara. King Mohammed VI announced the holiday in a Royal Cabinet statement on 4 November 2025, and the implementing decrees were approved by the Government Council on 15 January 2026. The date is now listed on maroc.ma alongside Morocco's other national holidays.
Because 31 October 2026 falls on a Saturday, the holiday adds no additional weekday closure this year — but it still lands as a full national observance. Government offices, banks, tax offices and courts close. Schools and the civil service observe it regardless of the weekday. Hotels, restaurants and markets are not required to close, and museums and monuments may adjust their hours, though holiday schedules had not been confirmed as of early October 2026. In Casablanca, that means the city's commercial life keeps running while the institutional city goes quiet — and the long weekend belongs to the street.
Walk the Markets While the City Is Off Work
With offices and banks shuttered, Casablanca's markets and food streets carry the day. This is the moment to move slowly through the city on foot rather than by car.
- Start early at the medina and the old market quarter. With the civil service on holiday, the stalls that serve daily Casablanca trade at their own rhythm — produce, spices, preserved lemons, olives, bread. Arrive before midday, when the crowds are still local.
- Eat where the city eats. Casablanca's food streets run on grilled meat, tagine, harira, msemen and mint tea. On a public holiday the working kitchens that stay open — restaurants are not required to close — are the ones worth sitting down in.
- Buy for the evening. If you plan to join a street gathering or a rooftop, pick up pastries, dates and fruit during the market hours rather than after dark.
Mark the Day with the City's Public Life
No official Unity Day event programme — markets, concerts, parades — had been published as of 7 October 2026, so treat the day as a national observance rather than a scheduled festival. What you can count on is the shape of a Moroccan public holiday: institutions closed, streets open, and the city's public spaces doing the work of celebration.
- Expect the flag. National holidays in Morocco bring out red-and-green across public buildings and shopfronts. Casablanca's administrative and commercial facades are the place to see it.
- Watch the institutional city go dark. Government offices, banks, tax offices and courts close for the day — a visible change in the business districts that define central Casablanca.
- Keep the evening free. With no published programme, the reliable move is to be out in the city's public spaces after dark and let the holiday find you, rather than booking around a fixed event.
Build the Long Weekend Around It
Unity Day sits at the head of a dense November. Green March Day falls on Friday 6 November, recalling the 1975 civilian march into Western Sahara and creating a three-day weekend. Independence Day follows on Wednesday 18 November, marking the end of the French protectorate in 1956, with offices and banks shut and reopening on the Thursday. If you are travelling, book early for the 6 November weekend — ONCF state railway services link Casablanca with Rabat, Tangier, Fez and Marrakech, and those seats go fast. Royal Air Maroc lists Casablanca flights from New York and Washington.
Know Before You Go
- Entry: US citizens do not need a visa for stays under 90 days. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond entry and carry at least one blank page. No vaccinations are required.
- Money: Declare cash over 100,000 dirhams (roughly US$10,000). Exporting dirhams is prohibited.
- Advisory: The US State Department maintains a Level 2 advisory for Morocco — "Exercise increased caution" — citing terrorism, issued 4 September 2026.
- Consular help: US consular services for Casablanca are at the Consulate General in Casablanca, not Rabat.
- One date to watch: the MINURSO mandate expires 31 October 2026, with renewal pending. It does not affect the holiday dates.
Unity Day 2026 is a first — a new national holiday landing on a Saturday, with no published programme to follow and the whole city free to improvise. That is the invitation: book the flight, hold the 6 November weekend on the rail timetable, and give Casablanca a Saturday when its institutions close and its streets stay open.