[3][5] Artists such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Rihanna, Ateez, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, The Weekend, Nicki Minaj, Enrique Iglesias, Chris Brown, Elton John, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Karol G, Maluma, Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, Ricky Martin, Wiz Khalifa, Marshmello, La Rosalía, Calvin Harris, J Balvin, Pharrell Williams, Rod Stewart, Usher, Demi Lovato, French Montana, Burna Boy, Luis Fonsi, Nick Jonas, Iggy Azalea, Ellie Goulding, Kylie Minogue, Scorpions, Future, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Akon, Pitbull, Avicii, Central Cee, Jason Derulo, Migos, The Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix, Metro Boomin, Jessie J, Maroon 5, Lenny Kravitz, Nicki Nicole, Sting, The Black Eyed Peas, Evanescence, Wyclef Jean, Shaggy, The Jacksons, Ennio Morricone, Julio Iglesias, Charles Aznavour, Cheb Khaled, Juanes, Stromae, Hardwell, Maher Zain, Booba, Maître Gims, Dadju, Evanescence, Damso, Saad Lamjarred, Aya Nakamura, La Fouine, Kendji Girac, Black M, Orelsan, Lartiste, Gazo, SCH, Nancy Ajram, Chic, Robert Plant, Oum Kalthoum and B.B.

[6] During this period, the festival started programming more mainstream music, and has become much stronger financially with many sponsorships from large Moroccan businesses.

[7][8] According to critics, the festival has been funded through state-owned companies such as CDG, OCP, ONCF and Royal Air Maroc,[9][10] money which they deem can be better spent in sectors such as health/education/unemployment.

[10] JLEC (Jorf Lasfar Energy Company), a Morocco-based subsidiary of Taqa, appeared in 2010 as a major sponsor of the event on the festival's official website.

[15] According to Telquel JLEC donated 10 million Dirhams to Mawazine, replacing Emirati firm Maabar as a major sponsor of the event in 2010.

[6] Eleven people were killed and forty were injured in a crowd crush at the "Hay Nahda stadium" during the festival shortly after midnight on 24 May 2009.

[3] The incident occurred when spectators attempted to leave in a hurry near the end of a free[4] concert by Moroccan star Abdelaziz Stati.

[17] Hassan Lamrani, the Governor of Rabat, blamed concert-goers for the disaster, saying that they had "decided to go over the metal barriers to have a quick exit".

[4] Maroc Cultures issued a statement to express "its great sorrow", extending "its profound and sincere condolences" to those affected by the tragedy.

[4] King Mohammed VI also sent the families of those affected messages of condolence and offered to pay for funeral services and hospital costs.

[4] After 3 years stoppage due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maroc Culture Association confirmed the return of the Mawazine festival in 2024 for its 19th edition.

The 2009 festival, a nine-day event entitled "Rhythms of the World",[3][22] was the eighth edition and began on 15 May,[22] attracting crowds of one million people from cities such as Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez and Tangiers to Rabat.

[22] Other musical acts to feature include Mali's Amadou & Mariam,[23] Cuban musician Eliades Ochoa,[24] The Joubran Trio, three brothers from Palestine,[25] and Iranian ensemble Eshtiaq.

[26] The festival opened with a concert by Ennio Morricone, accompanied by a Moroccan choir with ninety members, on the Bouregreg stage.

Other performers at the 10-day festival included Mika, Harry Connick Jr., Thievery Corporation, Al Jarreau, Deolinda, Angélique Kidjo and Carlos Santana.

[27] The festival also brought famous Arab singers such as Najwa Karam, Tamer Hosny, Elissa, Wael Jassar, Majida El Roumi, Myriam Fares, Rami Ayach.

This artistic competition, which has been run since 2006 as a fringe activity to the festival, sets out to find the talent of tomorrow and offers them a major springboard into the music business.

The winning groups see their career launched in Morocco, produce an album and perform at the following year's festival as established artists.

Moroccan scene in Salé stage : Siham, Jil Ghiwan Jalal, Ghiwane Salwan, LooNope, Jbara, Mjid Bekkas, Aouatif, Mohamed Anbari, Fatim Zahra Laaroussi, Atika Ammar, Numedia et Mallal, Izenzaren Abdelhadi, M.boy, Barry, Casa Crew, Hamid Kasri, Chaht Man, H-Kayne, Don Bigg, Ben Moussa, Hajib, Rachid Lamrini, Mohammed Iskandar, Najat Atabou, Tarik Laamirat, Said Mouskir, Hamid Hadri.

Other stars in so many other stages : Haj Youness, Amir Ali, Leila Lamrini, Tinariwen, African United, Gnawa Diffusion, Amadou & Meriem, Blitz The Ambassador, George Benson, Bond Girls, Sandra Nkaké, Lotfi Bouchnak, Abdelwahab Doukkali, Patrizia Laquidara, Ensemble Dragon.

The concert of DJ Avicii attracted over 200,000 festival-goers, on Monday, June 1 at the OLM Soussi stage of Rabat, as part of the 14th Mawazine Festival-Rhythms of the World, according to the organizers.