Themed “Cairo as a Global City”, AUC Tahrir’s CultureFest transformed the historic campus into a hub of artistic expression and intellectual exchange, filling venues like the Oriental Hall, Ewart Memorial Hall, Margo Veillon Gallery, and the university gardens with life, colour, and sound.
The overall atmosphere of the festival was one of a vibrant community gathering, where there was truly something for everyone. It is no surprise that the second and third days saw families filling the campus, with children delighting in the activities.
The opening day set the tone with a visual arts showcase by AUC senior students, Heels Over Head. The exhibition opened at both the Margo Veillon and Future galleries, where eight senior students of AUC's visual arts programme presented their senior theses. The students' artwork included acrylic paint on canvas, mixed media installations, interactive installations, digital video projection on canvas, digital video projection with sound, sculptural installations, and vinyl stickers.
The same day featured a special celebration of the Armenian Alphabet Restoration Reveal in the Armenian Room, with Mohamed Mandour’s documentary The Mashtots Alphabet screened on all three days of the festival. The film explores the creation of the Armenian alphabet by Mesrop Mashtots in the fourth century.
The exhibition openings were followed by a lively mix of events – most free of charge – catering to various generations and interests. And as activities took place across numerous spots at the campus, the garden was filled with vendors, around 15 small businesses selling jewellery, natural cosmetics, handcrafted items, clothing, notebooks, and hair products.
Music played a central role throughout the three-day event, with the inaugural day featuring a performance by CaPop choir, a band directed by AUC alumna and prominent vocalist Nesma Mahgoub. The group, consisting of 30 singers, delivered renditions of iconic international pop hits to the hundreds of listeners gathered at the Ewart Memorial Hall.
CaPop band sang 15 cover songs in different languages, including English, Slovakian, Arabic, Japanese, and Zulu. The majority of the songs chosen had specific significance, as Mahgoub explained before each performance. Some, such as the classics Ah Ya Zein and Ya ‘Asheqat Al Ward, were specially arranged for the group. As CaPop concluded with the song We Are the World by Michael Jackson, the message they intended to deliver, as Mahgoub said, is that “We are all one, the Arab and African countries… All united.”
Another highlight of the inaugural day was renowned rapper Marwan Pablo, who performed at the Tahrir Campus garden. Pablo energised some three thousand attendees – the largest audience – with his signature style. The concert’s opening act was presented by the rising rapper Husayn, before Pablo took the stage to perform some of his best-known hits – Ghaba, Lelly Yah, Free, Lemaza, Sindbad, and El Mabda’ – topped with his newest releases such as Ghanima and Aura, the latter still trending heavily on YouTube in Egypt.
Since Marwan Pablo's concert was held at the main garden and was one of the few ticketed events, AUC restricted campus access that afternoon to ticket holders only. While the decision was understandable, it meant that visitors who did not purchase tickets but may have wanted to see the exhibitions, relax in the garden, or browse the bazaar were unable to do so during afternoon and evening hours. Fortunately, in the next two days, whole families could explore the campus freely, supporting the bazaar vendors.
The following days provided a mix of academia, music, and activities for the whole family. This multicultural celebration of sound, movement, storytelling, and craft underscored the festival's theme Cairo as a Global City. As such, the audience enjoyed traditional Japanese calligraphy and costumes shows, as well as a segment dubbed Rhythms of Japan, showcasing classical and contemporary Japanese dance. On the other hand, dancers from the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) presented a selection of India’s finest: Kathak, Garba, and Bollywood dance. This was topped by an Indian dance workshop, with the audience participating in Dandiya, an art form performed with sticks. The infectious rhythms and vibrant moves filling the garden were a joyful reminder of how deeply Indian art is woven into Egypt’s cultural fabric.
The programme also featured performances by the Cairo American College Varsity Dance Team as well as a project titled Cairobia: Music Beyond Borders, a collaboration between Nadya Shanab (Egypt) and Fadhilee Itulya (Kenya). Enhanced by Bouda Yazeed's dynamic percussion, this a cross-cultural blend of Afro-Egyptian influences with rich global sounds captivated listeners.
Among the highlights of the festival’s performing arts segment was a concert by Salute to Gaza, a moving musical initiative by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Many of these young performers had been part of the institute's branch in Gaza before their arrival in Egypt, a fact that added a heartfelt dimension to their performance.
The choir brought displaced Palestinian children from Gaza to sing songs of Palestinian and Arab heritage, celebrating culture and resilience. Under the direction of Egyptian maestro Ahmed Salem, Salute to Gaza was accompanied by an Egyptian oud player, violinist, xylophonist, and duff player, alongside the Palestinian double bassist and qanun player.
“We started practicing in October 2024. We have 35 displaced children who came through Rafah’s border at different times after the war broke out,” Manal Awwada, the director of the institute, told Al-Ahram Weekly. “The very first performance we held was at Badr University in Cairo last December; it was part of a number of activities. It is this concert at the AUC that we consider to be our debut performance in Egypt,” she added.
The singers showcased five Palestinian folk songs: Salam Le Gaza, O News Bearer, Al Rosana, No Matter How Long It Takes, and I Swear to God I Will Plant You in the Ground. Despite the audience's unfamiliarity with the songs, their enthusiasm was noticeable as they engaged with the music through continuous applause and vocal support.
Another segment worth underlining was Cairo Steps, the acclaimed ensemble blending Egyptian, Sufi, and European musical traditions. Founded in 2002 as a collaboration between Egyptian oud player Basem Darwisch and German pianist Matthias Frey, Cairo Steps is among the best known ensembles performing on Egyptian, German and international stages.
This time Frey was unable to take part, and the band’s line-up featured Darwisch on the oud and pianist Rami Atalla, as well as a nay player, accordionist, bassist, saxophonist, percussionist, and qanun player. An interesting addition to the Cairo Steps concert was a guest appearances by violinist Rana Haggag, Hani Adel and Sheikh Ihab Younis. During the concert Darwisch mentioned that most of the songs chosen by Cairo Steps were focused on Cairo, aligning with the festival's theme of Cairo as a Global City.
But the festival wasn’t only a celebration of music, as it also hosted a series of thought-provoking talks and panel discussions. The talk titled Reflections on the Nile explored sustainability and innovation, addressing the urgent issue of plastic pollution in water bodies. This was aligned with a group of students participating in a kayaking event on the Nile, an experience that, as the press release states, "combines adventure with environmental awareness."
Other panels included Foreign Egyptians and Egyptian Foreigners, which reflected on Egypt's multicultural legacy, and Cairo’s Architecture: A Cosmopolitan Canvas, tracing the city’s architectural evolution from colonial to contemporary times. A dynamic discussion on entrepreneurship featured local innovators and investors sharing cross-border strategies for scaling startups and building global brands from Egyptian soil.
Authors Yasmine Elgharably and Yasmine Motawy also headlined the book talks segment. Along with photographer Yehia El-Alaily’s discussion of the book Bilhana: Wholefood Recipes from Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco, Elgharably delved into Middle Eastern culinary culture. Discussing her own book Children’s Picture Books and Contemporary Egyptian Society, Motawy offered insight into how children’s literature captures the complexities of contemporary Egyptian society in her turn.
Children were at the heart of the festival, their laughter filling the air as they engaged in origami workshops, face painting, pottery, and a theatrical performance by the Sitara Theatre. Running freely across the Tahrir campus, they explored every corner of the event, their faces lighting up as they discovered new activities, their hands covered in clay, and their faces transformed into colourful works of art. The weekend was alive with their boundless enthusiasm, underscoring how the spirit of fun and discovery is a key part of the celebration.
Access to the campus and its resources is undeniably limited to a specific segment of society, and as such, the festival maintains an inherently selective nature. It must be said that with the AUC Tahrir’s CultureFest, the university does try to expand the borders of its campus, and the CultureFest did provide a space where artistic expression, cultural dialogue, and social interaction could intersect meaningfully.
With a selection of performing arts, a bustling book fair, international food tour, Nile kayaking sessions, and a bazaar, the festival managed to offer something to everyone – from curious children to music lovers, literature fans, and global citizens. The number of attendees and relaxed crowds gathered in the garden spoke for themselves, infusing the campus with a sense of curiosity, energy, presence, and genuine interest. It was a clear reminder of how cultural events can animate a space and bring people together. And as the campus tries to strike a balance between entertainment and academia, the positioning of the Tahrir Campus in central Cairo does allow for a larger audience, developing outreach, while continuing to support artistic voices and community engagement.
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