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

The final weekend of 2017 is here and with it is a suitably grand selection of events making sure we end the year with a bang. And yes, we’ve included Sunday in this week’s version, to make sure you get the New Year’s Eve done right.

Thursday begins with some lively Nubian vibes with Nubanour heading to the stage of El Dammah Theatre, while it’s all about jazz at Cairo Opera House’s Small Hall, where legendary drummer, Yehia Khalil, takes to the stage. Oriental music lovers can head either to 3elbt Alwan, where local band, El Awela Baladi, are covering some of El Sheikh Emam’s classics, or to ROOM Art Space, where Takseer Sharqi take to the stage.

Hany Must, among others, is set cover some Bob Dylan’s classic on Cairo Jazz Club’s Bob Dylan Tribute Night (Photo: Hany Must / Facebook)

While Shaabi music is on the menu at Underground, where Islam Chipsy takes over in Al Mahragan, Bob Dylan’s classics fill the air at Cairo Jazz Club in Thursday Night Live’s Bob Dyaln Tribute, where a variety of local musicians take to the stage, including Hany Must, George Aboutar, Maged Faltas and many more.

Electronic music has the lion’s share this Thursday; house is the name of the game at The Garden Nile Front, with DJ Nada hits the decks alongside DJs Mo and Sheeko, while Misty and DJ Khalil provide some deep and tech house tunes at The Tap Maadi. Elsewhere, 24K hosts Symbols, where a lineup of Ahmed Romel, A & Z, Hady Tarek and more, head to decks and The Tap East welcomes DJ Ike & Crash Boom Bang for some guilty musical pleasures. 

The Gypsy Jazz Project takes to the stage of Maadi’s 3elbt Alwan this Friday (Photo: The Gypsy Jazz Project / Facebook

Friday is eventful at 3elbt Alwan, where The Gypsy Jazz Project head to the stage, in between two screenings of Atlantic, which follows a Moroccan fisherman sets off on an epic journey towards Europe on his wind surfboard. Taking to the stage as well is guitarist, Rania Sha’lan, who will be strumming some tunes at Bab 18, which also hosts a Christmas Bazaar. Meanwhile, ROOM Art Space hosts a jazz, rock & blues, courtesy of local band, Tijan.

When the sun goes down, versatile local DJ, Sebzz, takes to Cairo Jazz Club’s decks, as DJ AM!RA delivers a heavy dose of nu disco at The Tap Maadi and Mohammed Sadek and Minus T head to decks at The Tap East.  Minus T will be seen at Zigzag too this Friday, but this time around playing alongside Chiati and Zeina.

Events are thinning down this Saturday with everyone’s charging their batteries for New Year’s Eve, but there are still places to go; Underground hosts Electro Shaabi, featuring no other but Islam Chipsy, Gu Bar sees Hisham Abbas performing on the venue’s weekly Heshek Beshek and The Tap East welcomes every musically gifted citizen to join its Open Jam Night. 

Fun peaks again on Sunday, with many venues celebrating New Year’s Eve; whether you looking for a wholesome feast or a wild party, you are sure to find something interesting happening. Many restaurants are offering special set menus, including Royal Maxim Palace Kempinski’s Romanov, Lucca, Yana, The State and Bab El Qasr, in addition to Kempinski Nile’s Turkish Osmanly and Cairo Marriott’s Som3a Basha.

When it comes to parties, Cairo never disappoints; you can seal the year with some electronic music either at Cairo Jazz Club’s  All That Glitters featuring the club’s favourites, Omar Sherif and Ashmawy, or at Kempinski Nile Hotel’s Floor 10, whose New Year’s Eve sees DJ Mohammed Salah Hafez hitting the decks. Another loud party takes place at The Garden Nile Front, where DJ Carlos leads the charge alongside DJs Sheeko and Zak.

Alternatively, New Year’s Eve comes with an Oriental twist at several places, including Nile Maxim Boat’s Bogali, where a surprise belly dancer is set to perform along with DJ AYad, 24K’s New Year’s Eve features Anastasia, as well as DJ Bassem Filex, while Nesma shakes it at Bus Stop, on a night that sees DJs Ahmed Raouf and Tommy performing.

That’s not all, check out the Cairo 360 Events Calendar for more things to do and places to go across the capital.