Thursday 23 May

‘Do the Math’ film screening in Ice Cairo, 7pm

The documentary shines light on the rising movement in the United States to challenge the global carbon emissions levels, which recently reached the dreaded 400ppm milestone, the highest in 4.5 million years. Scientists estimate the last safe zone for carbon emissions should be at 350 ppm to limit the rise in global temperatures to only two degrees Celsius. The space hosting the film, Ice Cairo, is an innovation hub for environmentally viable ways for Egypt’s economic growth.

32 Sabry Abou Alam Street, Downtown, Cairo

Bassam El-Baroni Talk in Beirut, 7pm

This talk is by El-Baroni, a curator and critic based in Alexandria, Egypt and was the director of Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (2006-2012) and is currently a PhD Researcher in the Curatorial/Knowledge Program at Goldsmiths, University of London. The talk is part of Beirut’s season 3 programme on discovering what an institution is through talks, exhibitions and screenings.

11 Road 12 Mahmoud Sedky, Agouza, Giza

Romantic Night at the Cairo Opera House, 8pm

Mezzo soprano Noresta El-Margany and pianist Mariam Mamlouk will perform works by Frederic Chopin, Paolo Tosti, Fernando Obradors, George Gershwin as well as Egyptian composer Nahla Mattar.

Cairo Opera House, Small Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Maryam Saleh in El-Geneina Theatre, 8pm

After releasing her first album I don’t Sing last year, Maryam and her band have been performing in Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine. They will take El-Geneina Theater’s stage performing a mixture of rock and Arabic music. The album reflects Maryam's personal quest to experiment with different genres of music and the result is a melting pot of rock, oriental, funk and a bit of triphop. Read more on Maryam’s other projects here.

Al-Azhar Park, Salah Salem Road, Darassa, Cairo

Caravan Festival's Donkey Parade: painted animals in various Cairo venues

Ninety fiberglass donkey artworks painted by 45 Egyptian and foreign artists headline the fifth annual Caravan Festival of the Arts, which aims to use art to promote peace and alleviate sectarian tension. Among these artists are some of Egypt's most prominent contemporary artists, including George Bahgoury, Mohamed Abla, and Khaled Hafez. For two weeks, these donkeys will pop up across Cairo at various venues, before moving to Europe in travelling public art exhibitions. Read our exhibition review here.

The donkeys will be exhibited until 25 May in the following locations:
Hotels: Four Seasons Hotel (First Residence and Nile Plaza), Kempinski Nile Hotel, Cairo Marriott Hotel, Sofitel El-Gezira.
Galleries: Picasso, Mashrabia, Gallery Misr, Zamalek Art Gallery, ArtTalks, Al-Masar, Safarkhan
Other: British Council, Community Services Association (Maadi), St John's Church, Cairo American College, American University in Cairo.

Friday 24 May

Opening Janaklees for Visual Arts in Alexandria, 8pm

Founded in 2011 by a group of driving Alexandrian filmmakers, Janaklees Studio works as a catalyst for artists to fulfil their role in the country's social and political struggle. Janaklees aims to nurture local artists and provide opportunities for cooperation with their peers from around the world, using video as a method of free expression and to produce creative, high-quality visual artworks. Janaklees is now opening its space to the public to expand its network.

10 Hussein Hassan Street, Al-Azarita, Alexandria

Opera Aida returns to Cairo Opera House for second time this season

Verdi's Aida, one of the Egyptian audiences' favourites, will be performed on four nights at the Cairo Opera House this May. Aida is directed by late Abdel-Moneim Kamel with executive director Abdalla Saad, and includes artists from the Cairo Opera Company; Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nayer Nagui; Cairo Opera Ballet Company with choreographer Erminia Kamel; Cairo Opera Choir and A Capella Choir with choir master Aldo Magnato. Aida will be also performed on 26, 27 and 28 May at 8pm. Read more about the opera and its history in Egypt here.

Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Saturday 25 May

Igmadi event against Sexual Harassment, 10am

Harassmap, an initiative fighting the sexual harassment epidemic, teams up with the Zumba Fitness team and Wendo Self-Defence in this female-only event to train women in self-defence and empower them against harassment.

Triumph Hotel, El-Khalifa El-Mamoon Street, Heliopolis, Cairo

El-Ghouri Tanoura Group in Wekalet El-Ghouri, 7.30pm

Expect traditional dance, vibrant music and colourful performances by El-Ghouri Dance Group this Saturday. They play every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday.

3 Mohamed Abdou Street, behind Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo

Cairo Symphony Orchestra invites to a ball at the Cairo Opera House, 8pm

Themed "Night at the Ball," weekly concert of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra will include compositions by von Weber, Wieniawski, Rimski-Korsakov and Reger. Soloist of the evening will be violinist Hassan Sharara, while the orchestra will be conducted by Mina Zikri.

Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Journey Around My Living Room: Visual Art Installation at Mashrabia

Armed with her camera, contemporary Egyptian artist Hala El-Koussy headed to the streets of downtown Cairo in the spring and summer of 2012, photographing the mundane details of daily life in the multi-layered neighbourhood. The result is an installation that occupies the entire space of Cairo's Mashrabia Gallery. The gallery is made up of various intertwining elements, photographs that capture the visual culture of the city, objects that complement the pictures, and a large wooden cabinet packed with objects normally found in Egyptian households, to name a few. The installation is like a portrait of downtown Cairo and takes visitors on a journey of discovery. Read Ahram Online's review of the exhibition here.

8 Champollion Street, Downtown, Cairo

Sunday 26 May

A concert commemorating László Lajtha at the Cairo Opera House

Hungarian musicians Peter Olah, a flutist, and Robert Ritner, a violinist, accompanied by pianist David Hales, will invite the audience to a commemorative evening, performing works by the renowned Hungarian composer László Lajtha (1892-1963). Read more about the event here.

Cairo Opera House, Small Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Two solo exhibitions at sister galleries Al-Masar and Art Lounge

Celebrating its fifth anniversary as a prominent element of Egypt's contemporary art scene, Al-Masar Gallery is hosting a solo exhibition by Ahmed Farid, which opened on 11 May. Inspired by Cairo's cityscapes and the contrasts that pervade the city, Farid's series of paintings, dubbed 'Urban Diversity,' are rich with texture and layers of paint.

At the recently inaugurated affiliate venue, The Art Lounge, Tarek Montasser's debut solo exhibit, titled 'Table of Life', brings a series of still life paintings to contrast with Farid's pieces capturing 'Urban Diversity'. These paintings mostly depict inanimate objects in frenzied, playful compositions.

Baehler's Mansions, 157b, 26 July Street, ground floor, Zamalek, Cairo 

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