Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF)
13 - 22 November
Several venues across Cairo

Renowned actor Hussein Fahmy is the president of the 45th edition, and film researcher and critic Essam Zakaria is the director.

The CIFF is one of the oldest and most prestigious festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is the only festival in these regions registered as Category A by the International Federation of Producers in Paris.

Check out the complete programme here.

Medhat Saleh and Reham Abdelhakim - music
Friday 15 November, 8 pm
Al-Qubbah Palace Hada'iq El Qobbah, Cairo 

Medhat Saleh is one of the leading stars of the Egyptian music scene.

Among his best-known songs are Kawkab Tany (Another Planet), Wala Teswa Domoe (Not Worth the Tears), and El-Donia Alemetny (Life Taught Me), as well as dozens of film scores like Mafia, El-Beliatsho (The Clown) and Amir El-Zalam (Prince of Darkness), to name but a few.

He has released numerous albums and starred in several films, TV series and plays.

Reham Abdel-Hakim came to the limelight in 1999 when she landed a role as a young Um Kalthoum, whose title carried the name of the iconic late Arab singer. 

Since then, she has frequently returned to Um Kalthoum's repertoire through many concerts at the most prestigious stages in Egypt and the Arab region.

Abdel-Hakim received several recognitions, including the Golden Microphone Award from the Arab Broadcasting Union twice.

Tamer Ashour - music
Friday 15 November, 8.30 pm
El-Malahy, New Cairo 

Singer and composer Tamer Ashour came into the spotlight in the mid-2000s. 

Since then, he has released seven albums, establishing himself as one of the most popular performers in Egypt and the Arab world.

His breakthrough as a singer came with the release of his debut single, Zekrayat Kedaba (Lying Memories), in 2006. 

The song's success led Ashour to work on his first album, Saab (Difficult), released in 2007. He later released consecutive albums: Had Byheb (2008), Laya Nazra (2011), Esht Maak (2014), Khayali (2017), Ayam (2019), and Tegy Netrahen (2022). 

On 21 August, Ashour released his latest single, Wadaa Wadaa (Farewell Farewell).

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - music
Friday 15 and Saturday 16 November, 8.30 pm
The Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo

Two concerts will be held at the Grand Egyptian Museum, led by the renowned conductor Stephen Bell. They will feature the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the Egyptian international award-winning soloists Amira and Mariam Abouzahra. 

Each evening opens with a varied collection of some of the most famous classical music melodies from the finest classical composers of all time—Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Rimsky-Korsakov—followed by music from iconic film themes such as Superman, Gladiator, Game of Thrones, and Star Wars, among others.

Tablet El-Sitt - music
Friday 16 November, 8 pm
Theatro Arkan, Sheikh Zayed City, Cairo

The troupe consists of women percussionists.

Founded by folk music enthusiast Soha Mohamed in 2019, the group is bringing Egypt's musical heritage back.

Centennial of the Italian Opera Composer Giacomo Puccini - music
Friday 16 November, 8 pm
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina will celebrate the centennial of the Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini with excerpts from his famous operas.

The concert will feature guest soloists from Japan: Yamahata Haruko (soprano), Itsuki Mikiko (mezzo-soprano), and Oikawa Takashi (tenor), alongside Egyptian singers Dina Iskander (soprano) and Mustafa Mohamed (baritone).

Nayer Nagui will conduct the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Orchestra, Youth Orchestra, Choir and Children's Choir.

The Outside Cairo Festival
18 – 22 November
Venues across Aswan, Minya and Port Said 

The Goethe-Institut Kairo will launch the Outside Cairo Festival, a culmination of Outside Cairo 2023 and 2024. 

The festival will kick off at Aswan's Krouma Cultural Centre on 18 November. On 20 November, it will move to Minya, with events taking the stage of the Jesuit Culture Centre. The festival ends on 22 November at Port Said's Misr Public Library. 

Aiming to decentralize Egypt's cultural landscape and support cultural diversity, the project encouraged artistic exchange across Egypt, empowered cultural professionals, and financially supported their local projects. 

The festival will showcase workshops, theatre, dance and music performances, storytelling, and discussions.

Nesma Mahgoub - music
Wednesday 20 November, 8 pm
Boom Room, Open Air Mall, Madinaty, Cairo

Nesma Mahgoub is an Egyptian singer and actress who became a star after winning the 2011 eighth season of Star Academy Arabia. 

Mahgoub sings in various languages, including Arabic, English, Italian, German, Latin, French, and Hindi. She sings in genres such as opera (soprano), jazz, pop, musical and Oriental. 

Mahgoub is also known for voicing Elsa in the Arabic Dub of Disney's Frozen.