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Cairo Weekend Guide: Live Music, Film Screenings & Stand-Up Comedy

Cairo Weekend Guide: Live Music, Film Screenings & Stand-Up Comedy
written by
Cairo 360
Hello Cairo!

Every week, as we sit down to assemble the essential piece of literature that is Cairo 360’s weekend guide, our mood is shaped, gripped and sometimes crushed by a topical buzz, whether it’s the decaying state of the country’s circus freak government or a sweet new line of clearly plagiarised retro handbags coughed up at an extortionate boutique by a daddy-funded designer. This week, though, there’s nothing. You’ve entered into an epoch of monotony; the age of tedium. Don’t look around for saviour. If you hold out your hand, no one will be there. Anyway, here are the best events of the weekend.


Thursday serves up a menu of diverse live music, none more so than at Sufi in Zamalek, where power-house entertainer, Nurah Farahat, performs with guitar in tow.  Meanwhile, another multi-talented singer, songwriter and actress can be found at El Sawy Culturewheel, where Maryam Saleh performs.

Waging war in the battle between DJs and live music in Cairo’s clubs are indie-pop favourites, Salalem, who will be on stage at After Eight in Downtown Cairo, while Cairo Jazz Club hosts Beatles tribute band, Glass Onion.

For the classically inclined, the National Arab Music Ensemble continue to champion Arabic music heritage at El Gomhouria Theatre, while award-winning Sudanese group, Rango, perform at El Dammah Theatre.
In a different vein of Cairo fun, film buffs will find home at Darb 17 18 tonight with screenings of 16 short films from around the world, all of which have been produced under the umbrella of the 48 Hour Film Project. Alternatively, SEMAT’s Cine-Club in Garden City is opening its doors to Cairenes for a screening of Spanish film Viridiana (1961).

Laughs can and will be found by the bucket load at Makan tonight, as off-beat stand-up collective, Al Hezb El Comedy take over Makan in celebration of the group’s one year anniversary.

Tonight is also the opening night of Ezzat Ezzat Dance Studio’s (EEDS) Contemporary Dance Night 2 at Falaki Theatre. The six-day run will see alternating performances of two shows.

Fans of house music will be pleased to hear that DJ Carlos is back at Cairo Jazz Club for a night of house music on Friday, while 100Copies Music Space kicks off its September line-up with an evening of electronic music with Hossam Ghaleb.

In Heliopolis, Sun City Mall continues it series of live music performances with a late-night set courtesy of alternative Egyptian band Black Theama.

Over in Zamalek, Sufi hosts a cosy screening of Oscar-winning Iranian film A Seperation (2011) while EEDS’s Contemporary Dance Night 2 continues at Falaki Theatre.

Cairo is buzzing about the launch of the seventh edition of satirical comic book Tok Tok, which will be held at Townhouse Gallery on Saturday. Downtown Cairo neighbours, 100Copies Music, welcome writer Mariam Elias for a Q&A session.

Meanwhile, Cairo Jazz Club hosts a double bill of live music as indie singer, Dina El Wadidi, performs before Malaleem pick up the pace with their upbeat Charleston rock stylings.

El Sawy Culturewheel welcomes symphonic power metal band, Varden, while down the road at the Marriot Hotel in Zamalek hosts the Mum & Me Mega Sale which will have shoppers thinking they’ve died and gone to shopping heaven.

Have a great weekend Cairo!

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