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

Hello, Cairo!

The first weekend of 2016 looks like it won’t disappoint, with live music, nightlife and art vying for you time over the next few days.

Thursday sees Cairo Jazz Club kick off a busy weekend with the triple-header of live music, with Danny Malak, Malak El Husseiny and Amro & the Big Bang Boogie making for a tasty line-up. Also in Mohandiseen, UnderGround hosts a second Glamour Punk showcase in Cairo, as the British label brings Dutch DJ, Jap Ligthart, to Egypt on a night that will also see Tamer Auf and Hady Tarek take to the decks.

Over the river in Downtown Cairo, meanwhile, Zigzag welcomes DJs Aly B and Baher, while Fairmont Nile City celebrates Coptic Christmas with Winter Wonderland and the sets of DJ Shady Maher. Elsewhere, Maadi bar, the Tap, hosts DJ and producer, Abdo Kaldy, while Jordanian duo, SemaZen, perform at Zamalek’s 3elbt Alwan.

On Friday, Jap Ligthart is back in action at Eat & Barrel’s weekly party-come-brunch, Eat to the Beat, while later in the evening, DJ SHawky takes on his first gig of the year at Riverside’s Riverdeep and Zigzag welcomes Gaser and Sebzz.

Another big night at Cairo Jazz Club awaits, meanwhile, with Lebanese indie-pop group, Loopstache, headline, with DJ duo, Disco Misr, on opening duties. One of the biggest gigs of the weekend is set to take place at El Sawy Culturewheel, as HOH perform, while Screwdriver take to the stage at the Tap. Elsewhere, house fans can get stuck into Good Vibes at O Bar with DJ Khaled Hussein or UnderGround’s Friday night with DJ Asser Nabil.

The live music continues on Saturday with Basheer performing at Cairo Jazz Club, Michelle Rounds returning to UnderGround and Shady Ahmed ending the weekend on an acoustic note at the Tap.

Meanwhile, Zamalek’s Gu Bar welcomes Mostafa Haggag for the Nile-side bar’s latest edition of Heshek Beshek, and Al Hezb El Comedy return to El Sawy Culturewheel for a night of stand-up.

In the way of art, Zamalek Art Gallery is currently hosting two different exhibitions – sculptor Zeinab Salem’s The Best is Yet to Come and Yasmine El Hazek’s colourful Blossoming in Firenzie – while Townhouse Gallery’s A Worthy Degenerate is moving into its last few days.

Happy weekend!