Rabat Hosts Global Champions Tour Finals From 30 October

The Royal Theatre of Rabat on the Bouregreg river, one of the landmarks around the finals site; Taha ahha, August 2025, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons

MOROCCO · SPORT

The Global Champions Tour Rabat finals bring top show jumpers to Morocco’s capital from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Day tickets cost MAD 180 (about US$18) on Guichet.com, the seller the organiser’s official ticket store sends buyers to.

The circuit that staged a Miami Beach leg in April now crowns its 2026 champions in the first African city it visited. For a US fan, that means a world-class season finale on a holiday weekend, a fast train ride from Casablanca.

Why the Rabat Finals Matter

The Longines Global Champions Tour (LGCT) was founded in 2006 by former Dutch Olympic champion Jan Tops and turns 20 this year. Its team league, the Global Champions League (GCL), began in 2016 and is marking its tenth anniversary.

Both season titles will be decided in Rabat, the organiser said in its 1 October announcement. The GCL Final on Friday 30 October crowns the team champions, and the LGCT Final on Sunday 1 November the individual one.

Rabat became the first African city on the tour in 2024 and returned in 2025, making this its third straight year. Last year it was a regular stop, and Hespress English reported that Anastasia Nielsen of Monaco won its Grand Prix.

Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan presented that trophy on 19 October 2025, according to the same report. The Rabat event is backed by Years of Culture, Qatar’s cultural diplomacy programme, the organiser says.

The 2026 calendar opened in Doha in March and visited Miami Beach in April and Mexico City later that month. Cairo hosts a stop from 22 to 24 October, one week before the circuit reaches Rabat.

MAP Sport, run by the state news agency MAP, and the news site Le360 carried the announcement on 5 and 6 October. Both pointed to the country’s equestrian heritage, from the traditional riding art of Tbourida to national horse breeding.

The Hassan Tower and the column bases of the Hassan Mosque esplanade, another landmark beside the finals site; Grace Tankard, January 2018, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Venue Between the Hassan Tower and the Royal Theatre

The competition takes place in a temporary equestrian village on a 5.5-hectare site (about 13.6 acres) in central Rabat. The organiser places it between the Hassan Tower, the Royal Theatre of Rabat and the Mohammed VI Tower.

Guichet.com gives the address only as near the Royal Theatre of Rabat, so no street number has been published. The landmarks around it make the site easy to point out to any taxi driver or hotel desk.

The Hassan Tower rises above the column bases of the Hassan Mosque, begun in 1184. UNESCO lists the mosque among the older parts of Rabat’s World Heritage site, inscribed in 2012.

Beyond the arena, the village offers restaurants, shops, family activities and a night-time equestrian show, according to the Guichet.com event page. The organiser adds a cultural programme with music, art and national and international horse shows.

The organiser’s event FAQ says food and drink are sold in the village at its events. It also says professional cameras with detachable lenses need media accreditation, so leave large camera kits at the hotel.

Tickets and Prices in US Dollars

The Moroccan ticketing site Guichet.com sells the Rabat tickets, and the official Global Champions ticket store forwards buyers there. An adult day ticket costs MAD 180 (about US$18) and a child’s day ticket MAD 130 (about US$13).

A three-day pass costs MAD 480 (about US$48) for adults and MAD 340 (about US$34) for children. A family pack for two adults and two children is MAD 500 (about US$50) a day, MAD 1,200 (about US$121) for three.

Ten adult tickets cost MAD 1,500 (about US$151) for one day or MAD 4,000 (about US$403) for all three. Children under 3 enter free, the event page says.

Dollar figures use a rate of about 9.94 dirhams to the US dollar on 9 October. On Guichet.com the organiser appears as Longines Global Champions Tour Rabat 2026.

Getting to Rabat From the United States

Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s national airline, lists routes from New York and Washington to Casablanca on its US website. From Casablanca, the Al Boraq high-speed train runs north through Rabat and Kenitra to Tangier.

Al Boraq, Africa’s first high-speed rail service, opened in 2018 and carried 5.6 million passengers in 2025, Morocco World News reported. In April, CBS’s 60 Minutes held it up as a model the United States has not matched.

Rabat stays on UTC+1 through October and November, with no clock change scheduled. It is five hours ahead of New York on Friday and Saturday, and six on Sunday, after US clocks fall back.

What It Means for You

If you follow show jumping from the United States, Rabat is where the 2026 team and individual titles are settled. A day ticket costs about US$18, and a family of four can enter for about US$50 a day.

Travellers already planning Morocco can add the finals to a Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier trip, because Al Boraq links all three cities. Book trains and hotels early, because Saturday 31 October is Morocco’s first Unity Day, a new national holiday.

King Mohammed VI created it in 2025 after a UN Security Council resolution on Western Sahara, Morocco World News reported. The resolution backed Morocco’s autonomy plan, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front has long sought a referendum on independence.

Entry, Safety and Money Tips for US Visitors

US citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays under 90 days, according to the State Department’s Morocco page. Your passport needs at least six months of validity on entry and one blank page for the stamp.

The State Department rates Morocco at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of terrorism. The advisory was last reissued on 21 April 2025, so check it again before you fly.

Spend or change your dirhams before you leave, because the State Department says exporting Moroccan currency is prohibited. Guichet.com charges in dirhams, so your US card may add a foreign transaction fee.

The organiser’s FAQ suggests clothing for outdoor conditions, with sunscreen or a jacket depending on the weather. Food and drink are on sale in the village, so you do not need to bring your own.

What Is Not Known

The organiser has not yet published the timetable for the three days or the start times of the two finals. Guichet.com lists no door or start times either.

The start lists are not out, so it is not known which riders and teams will compete, or whether Americans will ride. Prize money for the Rabat finals has not been announced.

Guichet.com does not say what age range its child ticket covers, apart from free entry for children under 3. The event page also does not show whether booking fees are added at checkout.

What Comes Next After Rabat

After Rabat, the GCL teams turn to the GCL Super Cup at the season-ending Playoffs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the organiser said. Its calendar lists the Riyadh Playoffs for 18 to 21 November 2026.

Tickets for Riyadh were marked as coming soon on the official ticket store on 9 October. The Rabat tickets for all three days were on sale on Guichet.com the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the Global Champions Tour finals in Rabat?

The Global Champions Tour Rabat finals run from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. The GCL team final is on Friday and the individual LGCT Final is on Sunday.

How much do tickets cost in US dollars?

An adult day ticket costs MAD 180 (about US$18) and a child’s ticket MAD 130 (about US$13) on Guichet.com. A three-day adult pass costs MAD 480 (about US$48), and children under 3 enter free.

Do US citizens need a visa for Morocco?

No visa is needed for tourist stays under 90 days, according to the US State Department. Your passport needs six months of validity on entry and one blank page.

Sources: Global Champions (organiser) · Global Champions 2026 calendar · Guichet.com (official ticket seller) · Le360 · MAP Sport · Hespress English · Morocco World News: Unity Day · Morocco World News: Al Boraq · US State Department · UNESCO World Heritage Centre · timeanddate.com: Rabat time zone

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief