Morocco’s Nightlife Venues in Limbo as Reopening Guidelines Remain Unclear

There is great confusion in the ranks of bar, cabaret, restaurant and shisha cafe owners. No official information regarding the date of resumption of their activities has been published after a three-month lockdown.

While some have opened without receiving any counter-orders, others are still hesitant and fear sanctions or the loss of their license. According to the daily Assabah, some were working for the resumption of their activities this Saturday. Unfortunately, they were forced to reopen on July 11, the date of the expiration of the state of health emergency.

These are bars serving alcoholic beverages without offering meals and supposed to close at 11 p.m. This category was excluded from the second stage of deconfinement, following the publication of the joint official communiqué of the Ministries of the Interior and Health. According to the same media, cabarets and nightclubs, as well as shisha cafes, should open in principle on July 11, even if some remain skeptical and mention reopening dates that could stretch until the end of July.

Several well-known restaurants have resumed their activities, but they have been forced to close at 11 p.m. despite their license allowing them to remain open until 1 a.m., provided they serve meals to their customers and only serve alcohol at the counter. Confused, these professionals have met with local authorities, who curiously are still awaiting official instructions from the central administration in Rabat.