Created in Jannuary 2001, the "festival au désert" is held every year in Essakane, two hours from Timbouctou in Mali. This Festival seeks its origin in the big traditional Touareg festivities, as Takoubelt in Kidal and Temakannit in Tombouctou, which represented for long time a place for decision making and exchange of information among the different communities.
Un festival unique en son genre, de part son site situé à 60 km de la misterieuse ville TOMBOUCTOU, de part sa programation musicale qui allie la musique traditionnelle à la musique moderne, de part son marché artisanal, un marché cosmopolite.