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

Hello Cairo!

If – like
us – you sit around every Thursday doing absolutely no work at the office except
for planning your weekend, you’ll be pleased to hear that there’s plenty to
keep you busy for the next two-and-a-half days.

DJ Feedo
has been everywhere these last few weeks, and this Thursday he’ll be
spinning the hottest house and r&b tracks at Stiletto Lounge in Giza. We don’t
see enough of her as we’d like, so we’re excited about Maryam’s gig at Rawabet Theatre
in Downtown. Over in Maadi, it’s a big
night at Boss Bar, where rock & roll band Jailbirds will perform followed
by some house & techno music courtesy of three DJ sets.

Alternatively, you
can head over to Cairo Jazz Club to hear Beatles cover band Glass Onion play, to El Sawy Culturewheel for some Andalusian music with Yorka or to After Eight for another great Salalem gig. There aren’t many
bands that are as versatile as Baraka, and tickets to their gig at El Genaina
Theatre in Al Azhar Park are a bargain for a mere 10LE. 

At the
other end of the musical scale; Rango‘s mystical Sudanese and Nubian rhythms
will keep your feet tapping at El Tanboura Hall in Downtown. If you fancy a bit
of traditional Egyptian and Oriental music, you’re in luck; kanun player Saber
Abdel Sattar, the Emdan El Nour ensemble, the Heritage Ensemble for Arab Music and
the Abdel Halim Nowera Ensemble will all perform at Cairo Opera House.

The
stand-up comedy night at El Sawy Culturewheel is back by popular demand and
will feature the likes of funny men Peter Zarif, Ali Andeel and Mohamed Farouk.
On a similar note, the El Balad Theatre Group will perform a range of sketches
and skits for your entertainment at the Saad Zaghloul Cultural Center in
Downtown.

Friday is chock-full of party options:
first you have Friday Night House Sessions with Nacelle at Stiletto, featuring music by DJs Aly B and Kicksy. Does DJ Feedo even
sleep? He’s back on the decks again, but this time bringing his hip-hop/r&b
flavour to Purple in Zamalek, while DJ Junior will unleash some funky
electro-house onto Cairo Jazz Club’s dance floor.

Don’t
ever let anyone judge you for drinking in the afternoon, especially today at
the Swiss Club’s celebration of Oktoberfest. If that isn’t your thing; indulge
in some retail therapy at the Le Pacha 1901, where local brands and designers
will present their goods at this all-day shopping festival.

Saturday will feature a couple of big music
events, including Genaina Theatre’s Remix 2011; a concert by musicians who’d participated
in a music workshop held in Aswan by Egyptian musician Fathy Salama and
Lebanese musician Charbel Rouhana. There’s bound to be a couple of future stars
in there. You can also head over to El Sawy Culturewheel for rap performances,
freestyles, b-boys, beat-boxing and more at the Hip-Hop Non-Stop 2501 festival.

Alternatively, you can head to Cairo Jazz Club
to see Sahra, one of Cairo’s most alternative bands. If neither of those tickle
your fancy, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra will perform a concert of classical
music at Cairo Opera House.

It’s a
good weekend for shopaholics because First Mall will be transformed into a huge
bazaar where you can enjoy massive discounts and offers, food stalls,
entertainment for the kids, live music, and much more.

There you
have it, Cairo! Have a Happy Weekend!