Touba is the holy city of a community founded by Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba in the 1880s. The festival celebrates his life of peace, learning and kindness. Bamba is famous in Senegal for teaching that hard work, honesty and looking after each other matter more than anything else.
In the weeks before the Magal, families everywhere prepare. Many people walk to Touba - some from hundreds of kilometres away - and rest in shaded camps along the route. Hosts in Touba open their homes to strangers, cook huge meals for visitors, and find space for everyone who arrives.
On the day itself, the streets of Touba are packed shoulder to shoulder. People share food, sing together, and visit the city's huge mosque - one of the biggest in Africa. The whole city smells of cooking. The whole city feels like one big family meal.
The Grand Magal is not just for people in Senegal. Senegalese families living in France, Italy, the United States and beyond all try to come back to Touba for the festival if they can. Some people save up for years to make the trip.