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

There’s no better day to celebrate than on
a Thursday, and Cairo Jazz Club will host Screwdriver’s anniversary bash, where guests have been asked to dress up in bee’a costumes. Meanwhile, it’s house night at Purple in Zamalek, while Nacelle: Disco Strikes
Back is sure to get you dancing all night long at Yasso Lounge in Giza; just make sure you break out the sequins and the disco gear.

Thursday also marks the second day of the
Sakia Rock Festival at El Sawy Culturwheel, where My Precious Ophelia, Rumble
In Paradise, Incoming and SimpleXity will perform to a crowd of headbangers.

If that’s not your cup of tea, traditional
Egyptian music comes courtesy of the Abdel Halim Nowera Ensemble for Arab Music
at Cairo Opera House, El Tanboura will bring ethnic back to El Tanboura Hall. For a different type
of Egyptian music altogether, ‘Out of the Picture’ is a special music program
at El Genaina Theatre that will host some of the most popular young shaabi
musicians in Cairo. The first in this series of shows will see DJ Amr Haha
accompanied by the popular stars Figo, Alaa’ Fifty.

As they embark on a mini-tour of the Middle
East, Italian acapella group Mezzotono will perform at El Gomhouria
Theatre tonight, while the Up On The Roof open-mic night is back at Darb 17 18 for a night of amateur talent.

St. John’s Church in Maadi will host ‘The Eternal
Eye’, an exhibition that showcases Coptic icons created by Magdy William. It
opens tonight. There are plenty of other art exhibitions to keep you busy,
including Pulse at the Tache Art Gallery, Greek artist Yorgos Papageorgiou’s
exhibition at Mashrabia Gallery and Rabab Taha’s ‘See Life in Colours’
exhibition at Cairo Atelier. Check out
our review of Paul Beanti’s abstract exhibition at Art Corner in Zamalek.

Friday is another big night of music as
Michelle Rounds will bring her smooth, rich vocals to the Kempinki Nile Hotel’s Jazz Bar. DJ Amir Sharara and
the Digital Monkeys will take over Cairo Jazz Club with some heavy
electric mixes accompanied by tribal percussion beats, while DJ Feedo will reel off the hottest r&b and hip-hop tracks
at Purple.

If you’re in the mood for some classical music, the Alexandria Opera Ensemble will perform at El
Gomhouria Theatre in Downtown.

For something completely different, a Q&A and booksigning event will take place at
Diwan Bookstore in Zamalek to celebrate the release of ‘Arabic Graffiti’. The book has
brought together the work of writers, artists, typographers and graffiti
artists.

Saturday will have shoppers drooling,
because there are three – yes three – shopping bazaars taking place across the
capital. Check out the latest fashion trends, coolest home accessories and
flashiest jewellery at the Maneira open house bazaar at the Fairmont Heliopolis
& Towers, the Bazarna Eid shopping event at Le Pacha 1901 in Zamalek and
the ‘Aid to Artisans’ Fall Bazaar
at Intercontinental Cairo Citystars.

We’re also excited
about El Dor El Awal’s gig at Cairo Jazz Club with their unique rich blend of oriental music and jazz and unorthodox line-up.
The Sakia Rock Festival goes from strength to strength with another quadruple
bill of acts: Baraka, Circle, F.I and Raindogs will be let loose on El Sawy’s stage.

Cairo Opera House will host three concerts
that even the most opinionated of music fans will find hard to choose between.
Georgian pianist Elena Dzamashvili, oud player and violinist Abo Dagher and the
Cairo Symphony Orchestra will all perform.

The ‘Gamal Abd El Nasser – The Dream’
exhibition at Picasso Gallery is in its last few days, and this weekend might
be the last chance that you get to see the outrageously priced paintings of the
former Egyptian president.

There you go Cairo; enjoy your weekend!