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

Boo! Finally, the mother of all non-celebrations
has arrived. Yes, Halloween is upon us. There are plenty of parties around, but
there’s also plenty to do for those who can’t be bothered with the
face-painting and dressing up.

For this momentous Thursday, Yasso Lounge on the Trianon Boat in Giza is holding a big
Halloween party with DJ Arem V and DJ Jungar supplying the music. Down the Nile
on the Maadi Corniche, Pumpkins from Hell at the Armada Boat has a whole load
of DJs including Lith K, DJ F.I.D.O and Jeff Kuipers. This year, Cairo Expats
will have their annual Halloween party at the Swiss Club, where music will come
courtesy of DJ Moro and DJ Rick. Over in New Cairo, Halloween Boulevard is a
huge open-bar party in a swanky private villa. If you haven’t booked your
ticket for any of these parties, it’s not too late; we have all the information
and contacts you need: just click on the links to our events calendar.

If you want to stay clear of that whole
crazy rabble; then don’t miss Salalem’s upbeat and energetic concert After
Eight in Downtown. If you’re more of the classic jazz and swing type; check out the Riff Band at Cairo Jazz Club.

El Sawy Culturewheel will play host to two
big musical events tonight. Young Egyptian singers Hany Hussein, Rania Naguib and Rakia
will be joined by Noha Shohba, Diala Auda and Tahra for an eclectic night of
performances. Just down the corridor will be the incessant sounds of maracas and Spanish
guitars, as a little piece of Andalusia comes to Cairo for a night of Flamenco music
and dance.

Elsewhere, Belal El Sheikh’s oriental group
Sehr El Sharq are playing at Cairo Opera House, while the versatile Dina El Wedidi will sing an eclectic fusion of jazz, rock and oriental music at El Genaina Theatre.

Today marks the launch of the third annual
Arab Shorts film festival at the Goethe Institute. The festival, which will run
till October 31st, will showcase over fifty independently produced
short films from around the Middle East and beyond. Each screening session will
have a special theme that will link the films, as well as put them into
context. Tonight’s theme is ‘Personal Freedom: Fiction within the Truth’.

Today also marks the first set of performances
of ‘Sesame Street Live!’ at the MUST Opera House in 6th October City. The show will continue
throughout the week.

The Halloween festivities are lasting all
weekend, because on Friday the
Designopolis Halloween Festival will offer a percussion show, shopping stalls, fireworks, games and much more. Over at the Imperial Boat in Zamalek, Purple will go orange for Halloween, and DJ Feedo and
Hook will be on the decks all night with your favourite hip-hop and r&b
tracks with a twist of house.

DJ Junior will spin the decks at Cairo Jazz Club,
while DJ Medhat Mackintosh will unleash his house music mixes at Downtown’s
After Eight. For some politically
charged contemporary Egyptian music, look no further than Camera Band, who will play live at El Sawy Culturewheel.

If you feel like a musical night out at Azhar Park, head to El Genaina Theatre for night of
jazz music by local favourites El Dor El Awal, or dubstep your way to Melouk in
Dokki for some dirty beats, and filthy bass-lines at ‘Get Dubstepped’.

The monthly Culture Corner will take place in Rehab City on Friday. The day-long event will feature book fair, a debate corner,
musical performances, activities for children and several art exhibitions.

The Arab Shorts Film Festival will move
into its second day, with two sets of screenings at the Goethe Institute. The first
will focus on the theme ‘Childhood: Innocence’, and then later in the evening,
the second session will be screened under the title of ‘Transcend the
Geographies of Fear’.

Over at El Sawy Culturewheel, the first
night of the 9th annual Sakia Theatre Festival will see two special theatrical
performances performed back-to-back. Plus, don’t forget, ‘Sesame Street Live!’
will be in its second day of performances.

The incentive for getting up bright and
early on Saturday is the ‘Pink Party
for the Cure’ at El Sawy Culturewheel. This special ladies-only event (sorry
guys) offers a day of Zumba and other activities to raise money and awareness
of breast cancer in Egypt.

If you have enough energy after that, one
of Cairo’s most popular contemporary Arabic rock bands, Cairokee are back at
Cairo Jazz Club. It’s a tough one, though; because armed with just a piano, a
bass guitar and a set of drums, the Jakub Urban Trio are a unique Czech band
whose fresh take on jazz is sure to please at El Genaina Theatre.

Alternatively, head over to Wikalet El
Ghouri in El Hussein for some magical music combined with traditional dance
performed by El Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group.

If you’re planning to be in Zamalek,
the Sakia Theatre Festival continues into its second night with a performance
of El Kotea Kingdom by the Shorouk Group, which was a big hit when it was last
performed at El Sawy Culturewheel. Meanwhile, also at El Sawy, Peter Zarif, Amir Ezzat and Ahmed Fahmy will
provide the laughs for another big night of stand-up comedy.

This weekend may be the last chance you get
to see the exhibitions ‘Preservation & Wildlife: The Other Side of Sinai’ at the Semiramis Intercontinental , which
ends on Sunday, and ‘Field Statements:
Images from Tahrir Square’ at the French Institute, which ends on Monday. New this week though is RGB at Townhouse Gallery; an experimental video exhibition that is worth checking out.

Have a ghoulishly good
weekend Cairo!