Must-see entertainment in Egypt

The Egyptian Centre for Culture & Art runs this intimate space dedicated to folk music. Don’t miss the traditional women’s zar, a sort of musical trance…

Regular Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows by musical ensembles such as Rango, a trancey Sudanese folk group, and the El Tanboura Band, playing…

Bustling arts centre in the heart of Alexandria, offering live gigs, contemporary theatre, film screenings and art exhibitions. There is a book and craft…

Performances by the Cairo Opera and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra are held in the 1200-seat Main Hall, where jacket and tie are required for men …

This super-cool creative space aims to be a ‘trampoline’ for contemporary art, which gives an idea of the fun to be found here – there's a regular program…

Although the commentary is predictably cheesy, you really can't beat strolling through Philae's temple at night. Show times, with commentary in alternate…

Egyptian rock and jazz bands play at this lively and very active complex of a dozen performance spaces and galleries tucked under a bridge overpass. There…

A sound-and-light show is performed nightly at Abu Simbel. Headphones are provided, allowing visitors to listen to the commentary in various languages…

Keeping Cairene kids entertained since 1959, this is the Arab world's biggest puppet theatre. Shows are in Arabic but are colourful and animated enough to…

Egypt’s only Sufi dance troupe – more raucous and colourful than the better-known white-clad Turkish dervishes – puts on a mesmerising performance three…

The Cairo Jazz Club has kept up with the beat, and it has one of the city’s liveliest stages, with modern Egyptian folk, electronica, fusion and more,…

This excellent cultural centre hosts Sunday evening films (7.30pm), ranging from Dutch art-house features to the latest works by young Egyptian directors …

Al Azhar Park’s 300-seat open-air theatre hosts touring artists from overseas, big-name stars from the Middle East and local Egyptian bands and musicians…

Between October and February/March, Aswan’s folkloric dance troupe sporadically performs Nubian tahtib (dance performed with wooden staves) and songs…

Very active cultural centre offering contemporary theatre, film screenings, contemporary art exhibitions and music performances, of Egyptian artists and…

This active cultural centre, housed in a whitewashed villa, hosts contemporary arts exhibitions, poetry readings and occasional free concerts in its…

Seminars and lectures in German on Egyptology and other topics, plus visiting music groups, art exhibitions and film screenings.The library has more than…

One of Cairo's most active cultural centres, the Italian institute hosts a busy program of art house films plus lectures (sometimes in English) and art…

An offshoot of the Cairo-based cultural and performance space, El Sawy stages music and theatre performances and other events and activities for children…

The former Sayed Darwish Theatre has been refurbished and now this lovely, frivolous building houses the city’s modestly proportioned but splendid opera…