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

Hello Cairo!

Venues across the city would be forgiven for taking it easy over the next few days, with most of us still picking Christmas tinsel out of our hair and New Year’s Eve just a few days away. But say what you will about Cairo, it never fails to surprise and there’s plenty of gigs, parties, exhibitions and general tomfoolery to be had this weekend.

Thursday sees Fairmont Nile City’s O Bar welcome DJing twosome, ToyBoys, while Cairo Jazz Club hosts popular Alexandrian band, Massar Egbari. Elsewhere, Dokkin hotspot, Alchemy, hosts another edition of Scarlet’s Vintage Brew, where sangria will be flowing non-stop.

Several venues across the city are extending their Christmas celebrations, including the Four Seasons Nile Plaza’s Graffiti, whose Red & Gold Night sees UK DJ, Laura Love, and resident, Roro, provide the music, as well as Heliopolis bar, Cavallini, where Sugar & Spice offers a decidedly Oriental flavour to the festive season.

In Downtown Cairo, meanwhile, bar/art-space, VENT, hosts enigmatic, mask-wearing electronic musician, NeoByrd, while Rawabet Theater’s The Breakdown sees local metal bands, Devour, Mascara and the Chicken Came First, take to the stage for a noisy night of music.

Shady Ezz and Aly Goede are behind the decks at Tamarai on Friday and the Percussion Show perform once more at Cairo Jazz Club, while Amici Heliopolis turns into lil’ Beirut with another  edition of Lebanese Treats.

Elsewhere, VENT welcomes obscure electronic act, Warpaint Kollektiv, to the stage and Balcon Lounge’s ‘An Incident of Music‘ event sees more underground talent emerge. At the other end of the musical spectrum, meanwhile, Lebanese pops-star, Ramy Ayash, will perform a special concert at Meeting Point in New Cairo.

The holiday festivities continue at Cairo Opera House, as classic Christmas ballet, ‘The Nutcracker’, returns for another four-day; speaking of Cairo Opera House, jazz pioneer, Yehia Khalil, will be strutting his stuff there once more.

Saturday at Alchemy marks the end of award-winning artist and craftsman Thaer Jab‘s display of work at There’s Something Bloody About Mary, while sister venue, Cairo Jazz Club, welcomes two of the most popular Egyptian bands, Soot El Share3 and City Band, for a night of live music.

There’s more live music at the Nile Maxim in Zamalek courtesy of New Wave, with the likes of PanStarrs, Fulltone and NeoByrd among the performers at ‘Reflection‘, as well at the Nasr City branch of Bikya, where Kayan and Retreat to the Cabin perform.

Cairo’s galleries are heaving as always, with new exhibitions this week including the Egypt Photo Marathon 2013 Exhibition at Dar 1718, ‘Digital Life‘ at the Ahmed Shawki Museum and ‘The Clown Laughing & Crying‘ at Picasso Art Gallery.

This is just a a snapshot of the events across Cairo this weekend; check out the Cairo 360 events calendar for more gigs, parties, exhibition and more.