Thursday 6 June

Meshwar Band and Senet (Eritrea) in El-Geneina Theatre at 8.30pm

El-Geneina Theatre kicks off its summer programme in Al-Azhar Park by hosting musicians from Egypt and across the region on weekends in June and July. The theatre, run by Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafi, a non-profit cultural organisation, is one of Cairo's most active stages, showcasing carefully selected musicians from Egypt, the Middle East and further abroad. The Egyptian reggae Meshwar Band and Eritrean Senet will perform on Thursday.  

El-Geneina Theatre, Al-Azhar Park, Salah Salem Road, Darassa, Cairo.

100Live Electronic Music Festival in Rawabet Theatre at 8pm

Electronic music festival 100 Live is returning for the seventh year with a diverse line-up of alternative musicians. On Thursday, electronic music bands Cellar Door, Zuli, Brutuzz and El Madfa3geya will give performances at Rawabet Theatre. World-renowned UK sonic artist and electronic musician Kode9 will also perform Thursday night. The event is being organised by 100 Copies Music, and supported by the British Council, the Dutch Embassy, Retune Studio, Sound Life, Red Bull and Rawabet Theatre.

El-Nabarawy Street off Champollion Street, Downtown Cairo

Alif Ensemble open band practice and discussion in El-Cabina at 8.30pm

Blending a mix of contemporary sounds, Alif ensemble is made up of a collection of the most talented independent musicians from the Middle East: Tamer Abu Ghazala (Palestine/Egypt, vocals/oud), Khayam Allami (Iraq, oud), Khaled Yassin (Lebanon, percussion), Maurice Louca (Egypt, electronic) and Bashar Brann (Lebanon, bass). The musicians will host a limited number of people in the studio rehearsal space of El-Cabina in Alexandria, giving a unique experience to participants. The ensemble will play a concert in Cairo on Friday at Darb 1718 starting 8pm.

11 San Saba Street (Behind Rialto Cinema), El-Raml Station, Downtown, Alexandria

Multiple Kafka: Czech artist Jiri Sliva exhibits in Arthropologie Gallery

Jiri Sliva, one of Czech Republic’s most prominent illustrators, famed across Europe for his witty cartoons, exhibits a series of lithographs and etchings at the Arthropologie Gallery in Cairo's Zamalek district. Silva's exhibition encompasses his favourite themes: cafes, jazz, love, and wine, alongside illustrations of eminent 20th century writer Franz Kafka’s novel, Metamorphosis (Die Verwandlung). Read Ahram Online's review here.

13A El-Maraashly Street, Zamalek, Cairo


Friday 7 June

Khat Ahmar Band in Jesuits Cultural Centre at 7pm

A young group of individuals playing a mix of oriental sounds fused with rock, jazz, blues and country music, putting forward lyrics and compositions that cross the “red line” of taboos in society.

298 Port Said Street, Cleopatra, Alexandria

100Live Electronic Music Festival in Rawabet Theatre at 8pm

Egyptian underground music bands including NeoByrd and Islam Chipsy will perform within a line-up of electro, psychedelic rock, and shaabi (popular) music. 100Live DJ Ismael Hosny will also appear Friday night at Rawabet.

El-Nabarawy Street off Champollion Street, Downtown Cairo

Sudanese Music Night in El-Geneina Theatre at 8.30pm

Two Sudanese musicians, Asia Madani and Abazar Abd El-Baqi, will perform at the Azhar Park stage Friday. El-Geneina Theatre's summer line-up features prominent local bands such as Wust El-Balad, the Amro Salah Jazz trio, and up and coming hard rock and metal bands such as Simplexity and Mascara, as well as musicians from Syria, Eritrea and Sudan.

El-Geneina Theatre, Al-Azhar Park, Salah Salem Road, Darassa, Cairo.

Solo Multimedia Show by Doa Aly at Townhouse Gallery

A multimedia project featuring a video series, drawings, sculpture and collage created by emerging Egyptian artist Doa Aly in the past three years will be held at the Townhouse Gallery until 5 June. The exhibition, entitled "Desire, Deceit, and Difficult Deliveries," is based on four characters from the Roman poetic epic Metamorphoses by Ovid: Narcissus, Hermaphroditus, Byblis and Myrrah. In this project, the artist examines the impact of desire and unrequited passion on the characters.

10 Nabrawy Street, off Champollion Street, Downtown, Cairo


Saturday 8 June

Mosalsal Nights in Medrar for Contemporary Art at 6pm

Medrar sets out to experiment with what can be presented in a contemporary art space by putting on a weekly screening of the Egyptian horror television series 'Abwab El-Khof' (Doors of Fear). The series stars Amr Waked and Gamil Rateb and is based on a main storyline and sub-stories for each episode that draw on horror and thriller stories in Egyptian cultural tales.

7 Gamal Abu-El Mahassen Street, Garden City, Cairo

Hidden musical treasures with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra at 8pm

The Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hisham Gabr will perform works by David, Dittersdorf, Moscheles and Dvorak. Soloists of the evening are Zafar Azimov on trombone, Mona Wassef on harp, Peter Olah on flute and Wessam Amin on oboe.

Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear: Video art exhibition at CIC

Cairo's Contemporary Image Collective (CIC) is collaborating with the UK's Tate Modern in a collective video art exhibition entitled ‘Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear,’ which raises questions about the nature of cinema and moving images and the role played by audiences' imaginations and perceptions in constructing narratives.The exhibition features seven international artists: Herman Asselberghs, Manon de Boer, Sherif El-Azma, Patricia Esquivias, Lars Laumann, Maha Maamoun and Ján Mančuška.

22 Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, 4th Floor, Downtown, Cairo

20 Years of Evelyn Ashamallah at 6 Contemporary Arts

6 Contemporary Arts zooms in on the work of Egyptian artist Evelyn Ashamallah (b. 1948) in their latest exhibition. Ashamallah is a founding member of the Artists' Syndicate, and juried the Youth Salon for four consecutive years starting 1996. This show features a group of artworks selected from across the past 20 years of the artist's career. Some paintings are evocative of Ashamallah childhood in Dessouk, Kafr El-Sheikh, others were inspired by celebratory religious festivals (Al-Moulid). "Distorted figures, fed with child-like colours, her artistic freedom grasps the innocence of a child with the satire of an adult," reads the curatorial statement.

6 Salah El-Deen Street, Zamalek, Cairo


Sunday 9 June

An evening with film music at Cairo Opera House at 8pm

The first concert of newly launched Sound Of Egypt Orchestra will combine classical music with oriental tunes in film music. The orchestra is founded by Ahmed Atef, violinist, member of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra.

Cairo Opera House, Small Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

Collective exhibitions opening at sister galleries Al-Masar and The Art Lounge

Al-Masar Gallery will host a collective exhibition of artworks by modern and contemporary Egyptian artists until 9 July. The show features paintings and sculptures by Georges Bahgoury, Hamdi Attia, Ibrahim El-Dessouky, Mounir Canaan, Omar El-Nagdy, and Taha Hussein, among others.

The Art Lounge, an art space launched earlier this year by the five-year-old Al-Masar Gallery to spotlight prominent young artists, will host a collective exhibition starting 9 June. The show features paintings by Kareem Al-Qurity, Sami Aboul Azm, and Tarek Montasser, and sculptures by Mahmoud El-Dewaihy.

Baehler's Mansion 157b, 26 July Street, side entrance on Isaac Jacob Street, Zamalek, Cairo

The Golden Fly: Weaam El-Masry at Art Talks

In this solo exhibition at Art Talks, Egyptian artist Weaam El-Masry tackles the liberation of women in compelling paintings that demand attention and reaction. Strong women including iconic singer Oum Kolthoum, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and the late Egyptian visual artist Amaal Kenawy make appearances in her paintings. "Faced with the choice to compromise or defy the stigma imposed by society to realise her dreams, the woman in Weaam El-Masry's world is reminiscent of the Golden Fly — an insect that symbolised persistence and bravery in Ancient Egypt," says the curatorial statement.

8 Kamel Mohamed Street, Zamalek, Cairo

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