Brigitte Macron in Morocco for Grand Theater of Rabat Opening
Marrakech – Brigitte Macron is in Rabat on Wednesday for the opening of the Grand Theater of Rabat. The French first lady is expected to attend the event alongside Princess Lalla Hasnaa, sister of King Mohammed VI. Macron was also spotted earlier in the day taking photos with visitors at the Kasbah of the Oudayas in Rabat.
According to French outlet L’Opinion, this is only the fourth time in nine years that Macron has traveled abroad alone as first lady. The newspaper noted she does not use French government planes for such trips. She flew to Rabat via Air France.
L’Opinion also reported that Macron had received the three sisters of King Mohammed VI in Paris on February 19, 2024. Months later, on July 30, President Emmanuel Macron sent a letter to the king recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. That was followed by a three-day state visit on October 28, 2024.
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The Grand Theater was first inaugurated on October 29, 2024. Princess Lalla Hasnaa, accompanied by Brigitte Macron, unveiled a commemorative plaque and toured the building’s various sections during that ceremony. Senior officials, including Budget Minister Fouzi Lekjaa, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra Wali Mohamed Yacoubi, and Rabat Mayor Fatiha El Moudni, were present.
In May 2025, the Foundation of the Royal Theater of Rabat held the first session of its board of directors. Princess Lalla Hasnaa presided over the meeting alongside Brigitte Macron.
The board includes Cheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Al-Thani, president of Qatar Museums, Moroccan businessman Othman Benjelloun, Michael Zaoui, Makhtar Diop, Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, comedian Gad Elmaleh, Michel Canesi, Hélène Mercier-Arnault, musician Farid Bensaïd, and Mohamed Yacoubi.
L’Opinion also noted that Macron attended a summit on child protection in the digital age in Washington in March. It was organized by Melania Trump. Macron met Princess Lalla Hasnaa there and addressed some 40 counterparts on the issue of cyberbullying. She defended the EU’s Digital Services Act during the event.
The Grand Theater of Rabat was designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid. Its design is inspired by the curves of the Bouregreg River. King Mohammed VI launched the project on October 7, 2014. The initial budget stood at MAD 1.3 billion ($130 million). The building sits on a 7.1-hectare site with 25,400 square meters of built surface.
It includes an auditorium with more than 1,800 seats, a second performance hall with 250 seats, and an open-air amphitheater with a capacity of 7,000. The auditorium features a geometrically faceted interior and a movable acoustic ceiling. It is designed to host theater, ballet, opera, symphonic concerts, and other live performances.
The theater’s opening coincides with growing cultural momentum in Rabat. On April 13, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan inaugurated the Mohammed VI Tower in the capital, which stands as the city’s first skyscraper. The 55-floor structure houses 26 office spaces across 13 floors, 30 luxury apartments, and a Waldorf Astoria hotel between the 29th and 49th floors.
It includes a 1,400-square-meter conference hall and a public observatory at the top with views stretching up to 60 kilometers. Tickets cost MAD 250 ($25) for adults and MAD 80 ($8) for children. The hotel’s restaurant, led by chef Alain Ducasse, seats up to 500 guests on the 31st floor.
Both projects are part of a broader development program for Rabat along the Bouregreg Valley. They position the capital as a destination for business, culture, and tourism on an international level.
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