Entertainment Guide - Travel Tips

Entertainment in Egypt

About a decade ago, most tourists found that the range of entertainment in Egypt, especially outside Cairo, is rather limited. However, today touristic cities like Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Hurghada, and Marsa Alam offer a wide range of entertainment means for the travelers from all ages.

Away from the common bars, restaurants, discos, and cafes that tourists would find almost everywhere around the land of the Nile, especially in larger cities, today we will shed some light on other entertainment means that would interest tourists visiting Egypt from all regions of the world.

Information about entertainment in Egypt

It is never hard to find information about the different entertainment means in Egypt. Every month, a number of magazines and guides are published to provide information about various events, festivals, and new avenues.

There is Egypt Today, one of the most famous Egyptian magazines which are published in English, and it provides coverage of the cultural and artistic events taking place in the whole country. Other examples would include Al Ahram Weekly, The Middle East Times, the Cairo Times, and many other publications.

On the other hand, many websites and Facebook pages provide rich information about different events and various entertainment means in Egypt in a large scope of languages as well.

The Arabic Music

For the fans of the Arabic Music and different types of oriental tunes, the Cairo Opera House and the Sayed Dervish Theatre in Alexandria are the best place to attend a live Arabic music concert.

In Islamic Cairo, especially in Public holidays and during the holy month of Ramadan, there are usually music evenings and theatre productions in Beit Zeinab Khatoun; a historical house located behind the famous Azhar Mosque, and Beit El Harawy, another famous house constructed in the 17th century in Islamic Cairo.

The Whirling Dervishes Tanoora Dance Show

Among the most interesting and fascinating shows that distinguish the Egyptian culture is the whirling dervishes or Tanoora dancing performances. Many Nile Cruise ships which travel from Luxor to Aswan, and vise versa, offer a Tanoora dance show as part of their entertainment program. The same goes for dinner Nile cruises sailing down the Nile in Cairo.

The most famous place to watch the best whirling dervishes show would be the Wikala of El Ghoury, located in the Azhar area, in front of the entrance to Khan El Khalili touristic market.

The Wikala offers a Tanoora dance show every Saturday and Wednesday at 9 Pm. the performance last for about an hour and a half and it is totally free of charge.

The Belly Dancing Performances

Although the origins of belly dancing in Egypt dates back to the Pharaonic period, most of the performance we view today depend mainly on the blending between folk, gypsy, and ottoman patterns of movements.

Many Nile Cruise ships in Egypt; in Luxor, Aswan, and Cairo offers their guests with a short belly dance performance. Moreover, night clubs in many cities around the country, especially in larger hotels, have a permanent belly dance performance every night.

The Sound & Light shows in Egypt

Almost every major historical site in Egypt provides a sound and light show with certain schedules and a number of languages. These sites include the Pyramids of Giza, the Karnak Temple, the Temple of Philae, and many other monuments.

These performances begin as soon as the sun goes down and it involves the historical site being illuminated by different colors and shades while a recorded voice tells the audience about the history and the mythology of the monument.

Western Classical Music

The main venue to listen to good western classical music would be the Cairo Opera House with the main hall hosting regular performances of visiting international artists from all over the globe.

In Alexandria, the theatre of Sayed Darwish and the Alexandria Conference Hall hosts some western musical concerts which are usually organized by the French, Italian, or the German consulates. Many cultural centers around Cairo also organize a number of concerts for performing western music.

Some of the major hotels in Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm El Sheikh would sometimes organize for some live classical western music to be performed during dinner in the main restaurant or in nightclubs or bars to entertain their guests.

Bars and Discos in Egypt

Although Egypt is considered to be an Islamic country, there are many bars around the country, other than these located inside five stares hotels, where the prices are far cheaper and never less enjoyable.

Alexandria hosts a large number of bars, due to the fact that the city was host a large number of foreigners in the 19th and the 20th centuries. There is the beautiful Cap d'Or Bar that makes the guests feel like they are in a real Mediterranean taverna that belong to the good old days.

In Cairo, there are even more bars especially in the areas of the Island of Zamalek and Mohadneseen. Examples of bars in these neighborhoods would include Deals, L' Aubergine, Tabasco, and Bull's eyes which are usually attended by the wealthy youth of the city.

The downtown of Cairo also hosts a large number of bars which are usually crowded with foreigners and tourists who stay in the hotels located in the center of Cairo. There is the famous After Eight Bar which usually organizes live music played by a number of youth bands in Egypt.

Touristic cities in Sinai and the Red Sea region are also packed full of bards and discos. For the best information about these places, it is always recommended to check magazines like the Sinai Today or the Red Sea Today.

The Rock and Jazz performances in Egypt

A few concerts for Jazz, Rock, and pop are organized in Egypt, like the famous Jean Michael Jarre performance in the Pyramids in the celebration of the millennium. However, these events are quite rare to be held.

The only dedicate venue for the performance of live modern western music is the Cairo Jazz Club which is located in Agouza, near the Island of Zamalek in Cairo. There is usually a live band playing every night in the club.

Casinos in Egypt

Many of the five stars hotels in Egypt, especially in Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo, have a casino which is opened for the non Egyptians only. The games of these casinos are usually operated by US dollars or Euros.

Examples of the hotels that host casinos in Egypt would include; Semiramis Intercontinental and Marriott in Cairo, El Salamlek Hotel in Alexandria, and a large number of hotels and resorts in Sharm El Sheikh and Sinai.