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

While many breathing in the sharp, salty air of beach while ankle deep in sand as we speak, many others have, for one reason or another, found themselves spending the long Eid holiday in the capital. That realization is enough for some to hibernate at home in sadness at their predicament, but the weekend is peppered with parties and events.

We begin on Thursday at Cairo Jazz Club, which welcomes DJ Miesh for the first of two back-to-back gigs, the first of which will see him call on his deep house sets. Elsewhere the Garden Nile Front kicks off its first post-Ramadan weekend with hip-hop and r&b favourite, DJ Feedo. The Manial bar’s sister venue in Heliopolis, meanwhile, welcomes DJ Tommy for this week’s edition of the Garden’s Motion.

Also in Heliopolis, meanwhile, Hakamoro’s Eid specials see belly-dancer, Doaa El Hegazy, and DJ Bibo S., provide the entertainment, while over in Maadi, hip-hop is one the menu courtesy of DJ Medoz.

Four Seasons Nile Plaza, meanwhile, is marking Eid with dinner and a show, with the likes of bellydancer, Oxana, DJ Remon, popular percussionist, Shaaban, and electric oud act, Hamdoon & Ghazal, making up the entertainment line-up, while belly-dancing star, Amie Sultan, takes to the stage at Royal Maxim Palace Keminski’s Bab El Qasr.

Amie Sultan retirns to'The Palace' for Eid

At the other end of the musical scale, El Saw Culturewheel welcomes back one of Cairo’s most popular bands, Black Theama, while Friday sees Mounib Band perform at the Zamalek venue. Later in the day, Graffiti continues into the second night of its special Eid event, while DJ Miesh returns to Cairo Jazz Club, but this time armed with hip-hop and r&b.

Elsewhere, Hurghada-based DJ, Teddy Adel, provides the music at the Tap East in New Cairo, while the Tap Maadi welcones DJ Fedde. Music of the electronic kind can also be found in Mohandiseen, where DJ Asser Nabil takes to the decks at UnderGround, while DJ Martin is on the line-up at Hakamoro, where belly-dancer, Nancy, performs.

Live music dominates Saturday, with Basheer bringing his Nubian-inspired music to Cairo Jazz Club and singer-songwriter and guitarist, Shady Ahmed, performing at the Tap Maadi, while Mohamed Atef closes the weekend at El Sawy Culturewheel and Waslet Samaa do likewise at Zamalek’s 3elbt Alwan.

Basheer wraps up Cairo Jazz Club's first weekend back after Ramadan

There’s more than the usual song and dance this weekend, though, with many of the city’s hotels offering special brunches, events, day-use offers, spa packages and even the odd special room rate, including Four Seasons Nile Plaza and Cairo Marriott Hotel, as well The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski and InterContinental Semiramis.

There are also plenty of quirky activities to get stuck into, including kayaking along the Nile – check out more info here – as well as the increasing number of escape room games.

Alternatively, one of these eight swimming pool day-use getaways could well be a worthy alternative for the sun, sea and sand you’re missing out on this weekend, while this week has seen the usual spate of Eid movies hit cinemas, including one of this year’s most anticipated films, Min 30 Sana (30 Years Ago), starring Ahmed El Sakka and Mona Zaki. To find out where and when you can see it, as well as the other Eid films as well as Finding Dory and Independence Day: Resurgence, check out the Cairo 360 cinema guide.

For more events across the capital, check out the Cairo 360 events calendar. Happy weekend!