The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

We’ll skip the spiel about how you needn’t be bitter and jealous as your friends hightail it to the nearest beach. If you are indeed in Cairo this weekend rather than sinking your feet into the sand while taking in some sun, it sucks – there’s no other way about it. But let us not stew in our own self pity and instead make the best of a beach-less situation.

Thursday begins the weekend as the weekend means to go on, with plenty of live music to stick into, including at Cairo Jazz Club, where a double-whammy of performances sees Funk OFF and Beatles tribute band, Glass Onion, take to the stage. Elsewhere, Salalem kick off the weekend at Downtown Cairo’s After Eight, while Saigon Restaurant & Lounge welcome the fittingly named Hisham Blues for a night of, well, blues.

There’s more blues to be found at El Sawy Culturewheel, meanwhile, where the increasingly popular Mostafa Rizk performs, while at the other end of the musical scale, NubaNour bring their unique musical act to El Damma Theater.

Alternatively, in-demand belly-dancer, Farah Nasri, takes to the stage at Heliopolis bar and restaurant, Hakamoro, and this week’s edition of the Garden’s Motion, sees DJ Z Shark take to the decks at the Korba Bar.

Things start bright and early(ish) on an unusually quiet Friday, meanwhile, as Photopia welcomes one and all for a ‘Used Gear Market’. Every bit as simple as it sounds, the Heliopolis hub is inviting photography fanatics to browse, share, sell and buy used items from fellow fanatics.

Later in the evening, house music is on the menu at Cairo Jazz Club courtesy of local DJs, Ayman Nageeb and Karim Zalat, while Basheer brings his Nubian-inspired folk music to After Eight.

In Zamalek meanwhile, El Mestrab3 Band ‘go hippy’ as they bring the vibes of Sinai to 3elbt Alwan, while famed Oriental percussionist, Saeed the Artiste, performs at Cairo Opera House.

There’s more excellent live music on Saturday, meanwhile, starting at Garden City’s ROOM Art Space, where the Rami Attallah Jazz Trio perform. Back at 3elbt Alwan, experimental collective, Procession Towards the Unknown, take to the stage, while Cairo Jazz Club winds down the weekend with local band, Al Mena, open for indie heartthrob, Osama El Hady.

Film fans might want to check out a couple of screenings on Saturday, too, the first of which sees Darb 1718 screen 2014 Danish drama, Silent Heart. Zamalek’s Magnolia Leaves of Art, meanwhile, screens Nadine Labaki's award-winning Lebanese drama, Where Do We Go Now?

These are just a few of the events taking place across Egypt’s capital this weekend – check out the Cairo 360 events calendar for more. Happy weekend!