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

Eid is all but here and though it’s been a long Ramadan patience certainly is a virtue. But before Eid sets the ball rolling for a busy summer ahead, the last weekend of the Holy Month still has plenty of festivities to offer.

This Thursday, there are plenty of music events taking place; Zamalek’s 3elbt Alwan hosts local band, El Mestraba3, Garden City’s ROOM Art Space welcomes ney player, Mohammed Antar, and percussionist, Wael El Sayed, for a night of oriental music called Meditations, while Bab 18 in Heliopolis, hosts an acoustic performance by Estabena, whose music is influenced by the sounds of the Mediterranean region. 

El Dor El Awal headline the last night of Darb 1718’s Layalina Festival on Thursday.

Elsewhere, the last night of Darb 1718’s Layalina Festival welcomes Arabic jazz band, El Dor Al Awal, as well as Coldplay cover band, Strawberry Swing, Muez Street’s Al Rab3 welcomes musical project, Faironolia, for a night of Fairouz’s classics, and Downtown’s El Gomhouria Theatre welcomes the Arab Music Heritage Ensemble.

 At Cairo Opera House, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra takes to the stage of the Main Hall, to perform a variety of classical pieces by Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, while jazz master, Yehia Khalil, performs at the Open-Air Theatre. On a more festive note, Bab El Qasr welcomes Shaabi star, Hamdy Batchan, to for a special sohour performance.

Away from music, Sheikh Zayed’s Westown Hub hosts a Mouled–themed night, which, gathering a variety of local games and activities, is sure to entertain all family members.

Do’souka return to ROOM Art Space on Friday.

Another batch of events awaits on Friday, with one of Cairo’s best underground bands, Do’souka, taking to the stage of ROOM Art Space, Awtar Quartet performing at Al Rab3 and Waslet Sama’ presenting a night of spiritual music at 3elbt Alwan.

Cairo Opera House’s Open-Air Theatre has its own Sufi night with Amer El Touni and El Mawlaweya El Masreya, to perform the traditional Tanoura Dance. Another form of traditional arts, shadow puppetry, takes place at Downtown’s Beit El Seheimi; Dr. Nabil Bahgat’s production El Aragoz we Khayal El Zel. Also, Zamalek’s Magnolia hosts a game night, where everyone is welcome to enjoy themselves with the place’s wide collection of Board Kingdom’s board games.

Not as eventful as the previous two days, Saturday comes with but two events in Dowontown Cairo; a Gala Concert at El Gomhouria Theatre and a Sufi night at Wekalet El Ghoury, where El Tanoura Dance Troupe take to the stage. But don’t let that bring you down, because the following days of Eid have an endless amount of things to do and places to go – stay tuned!