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

The cooling of Cairo’s weather provides
us with the ability to get out of the house and take part in all of the
exciting things to do in Cairo…
without sweating! How glorious is that?

That being said, you had better put on your dancing shoes and warm up
your singing voice, because this month is filled with exciting musical
performances, open mic nights and debuts of local musicians that many of us have never heard of before.
If live performances aren’t your thing, don’t despair; many other events are on
the line-up as well.

November 2nd– 6th: Continuing until
the 11th of this month, Hamdi
Attia’s exhibit at Al Masar Gallery provides us with the chance to see the
aesthetics of photojournalism in a different light. It’s also the Riff Band’s eighth anniversary
on Thursday, November 4th; so dress up and join in their celebration for Jazz
Cabaret Night at Cairo Jazz Club. Project
Yourself: Open Mic Night will take place this month at a brand new location;
so explore your creative side and watch some of Egypt’s most promising amateur
talent take the mic. On the same evening, you can catch the breathtaking One
Homeland: poetry and musical performance at El Sawy Culturewheel; inspired
by Fouad Haddad, one of Egypt’s
greatest poets.

November 7th– 13th: Art exhibitions are
still in abundance this November and promise to provide unique perspectives on
contemporary subject matter. Hany
Rashed’s exhibition at Articulate Baboon will continue until the 15th,
where the artist tackles the overlap of pop culture and war. Don’t miss the Bidoun
Library Exhibition at Townhouse Gallery, where you can take the time to
read your way through the art on display.

On the 9th, Cairo Jazz Club’s debut
line-up gets even better with an improvisational performance by the
Organic Shift . Fook
El Sath Band will take the stage at El Sawy Culturewheel on the 11th for a
night of chilled acoustic tunes.

November 14th– 20th: As this is the
long Eid weekend, we figure that many of you will be headed to the beach for
some sun-worshipping or maybe an adventure in the desert. If you’re stuck in Cairo, we’ve still got
you covered. The IIC Theatre hosts its regular film nights and on the 14th, you
can catch The
Tiger and the Snow, where
director Roberto Benigni and Tom Waits tell the story of famous Italian poet
Attilio De Giovanni. Check out the debut performance of License
to Groove at the Cairo Jazz Club, bringing a fusion of funk and jazz to the
stage. It’s your last chance to hit up the Francesc
Ruiz exhibition at CIC; as he takes you on a trip through the streets of Downtown.

Until the 18th, you can check out an intriguing Human
Body Exhibition at the Cairo Opera House. Back at the Cairo Jazz Club on
the 19th, DJ
Slim’s debut performance will feature an eclectic mix of electro beats;
perfect for getting your groove on. Also at the Jazz Club, local rock band Egoz
take the stage for a little rock & roll on the 20th.

November 21nd– 27th: If a game of chess
is up your alley, the Chess
Festival will take place at El Sawy Culturewheel this week; and admission
is totally free. Until the 30th of November, Safar Khan will host an exhibition
of the latest paintings by Katherine
Bakhoum. On the 23rd, another debut performance will take place at the Cairo
Jazz Club: an evening of blues music by Bad
Mojo.

For a fascinating and beautiful take on traditional Zar music, head
to Makan to catch the Mazaher
Ensemble on the 24th. Enjoy a night of music and fine weather on the 26th,
courtesy of legendary jazz musician Fathi
Salama and his band at the Cairo
Opera House’s Open-Air Theatre. Don’t miss the DEO’s traditional Christmas
Bazaar on the 26th as well for authentic glühwein, bratwurst and lebkuchen.
If you like your Christmas to be German, this bazaar is not to be missed.

November 28th– 31st: For her debut
performance in Cairo and the last of the month at Cairo Jazz Club, Juliet
Annerino will perform a soothing mix of jazz, soul and lounge music on the
28th. At the Karim
Francis Gallery
in Downtown, you can catch the latest exhibition by artist Mohammed
Taman, who explores the interception between the human body and identity.

On the 30th, head to El Sawy Culturewheel’s wisdom hall for a classical music performance
by the El
Sakia String Orchestra. The Masterpieces
Exhibit continues at the AUC cultural centre and is filled with beautiful
artwork by acclaimed painter Margo Veillon.