Cairo Jazz Festival Runs 5 to 7 November at Tahrir Square

EGYPT · CAIRO JAZZ FESTIVAL 2026

The Cairo Jazz Festival returns for its 18th edition on Thursday, 5 November, with two stages in downtown Cairo.

The Cairo Jazz Festival 2026 runs from Thursday, 5 November, to Saturday, 7 November, in downtown Cairo. Concerts take place on two stages at the Tahrir Square campus of the American University in Cairo, known as AUC.

For US visitors, entry costs little: TicketsMarche, the official seller, lists day tickets from EGP 500 (about US$9.60). The catch is paperwork, because Americans need an Egyptian visa and the campus requires photo ID for entry.

What the Festival Is

The festival began in 2009, according to its organisers, and the 2026 edition is billed as the 18th. Its stated aim is to raise awareness of jazz as culture and human experience before it becomes a music genre.

Pianist and composer Amro Salah founded it, Egyptian Streets, a Cairo news site, reported in 2015. The first edition drew about 2,000 people, the site reported, and the organisers said they aimed to develop Egypt’s music scene.

The organisers name the European Union and EUNIC, the network of European national cultural institutes, among their partners. Embassies, international organisations and cultural centres also fund the festival, they say.

The TicketsMarche page lists the organiser as a company called Agwa for event organizing. The festival’s own website does not name a company.

Besides concerts, the organisers promise workshops, Jazz Talks, jam sessions and after-hours club gigs. Jazzinino, a programme for children, includes a showcase by the Bandmakers music academy and a workshop called Colours of Sounds.

The 2026 Line-Up

The organisers’ programme page lists these set times, all on the Tahrir Square campus. Ewart Memorial Hall is a concert hall on the campus, and the Garden Stage is the second venue.

• Thursday, 5 November: Nana Rashid (Denmark), 9:30 p.m., Ewart Memorial Hall.
• Friday, 6 November: Warren Galea Trio (Malta), 5 p.m., Garden Stage; Michelangelo Scandroglio Quartet (Italy), 6 p.m., Ewart Hall.
• Friday, 6 November, evening: ARIFA featuring Mohamed Sawwah (Netherlands, Turkey and Egypt), 7 p.m., Garden Stage; Hazem Shaheen (Egypt), 8:45 p.m., Ewart Memorial Hall.
• Friday, 6 November, late: Harfoush & The Egyptian Jazz Projekt (Egypt), 10 p.m., Garden Stage.
• Saturday, 7 November: Bächlin & Elkholy (Switzerland), 8:30 p.m., Ewart Hall; Fathy Salama featuring Karima Nayt (Egypt and Algeria), 9:45 p.m., Garden Stage.

The organisers describe Nana Rashid as a Danish Grammy-winning jazz singer. They call Hazem Shaheen a leading Egyptian player of the oud, the Arab lute, as well as a singer and composer.

Fathy Salama is a composer, arranger, producer and pianist, and Karima Nayt is an Algerian singer, dancer and actress. Jazz vocalist Ahmed Harfoush founded The Egyptian Jazz Projekt in 2015, the programme says.

The festival homepage also lists the Guido Spannocchi Quartet, the Xavi Torres Trio and the Manuel Linhares Quartet. The ticket page puts all three on Saturday, but the organisers have not posted their set times.

The ticket page also bills Hisham Kharma with Nana Rashid at the opening concert. Ahram Online, the English-language site of the Al-Ahram newspaper, describes him as an Egyptian composer, pianist and arranger.

Kharma is known for combining Eastern and Western instruments, Ahram Online says. His name does not appear on the organisers’ own programme page.

The Venue and How to Get There

The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919 by Americans devoted to education and service in the Middle East. It is chartered and accredited in both the United States and Egypt, and keeps an office in New York.

AUC calls its historic Tahrir Square campus a landmark and cultural oasis in the heart of Cairo. The university gives the address as 113 Kasr El Aini Street, while the ticket seller lists 22 Mohammed Mahmoud Street.

AUC’s public events portal says a photo ID is required for entry and facial recognition applies at all times. The notice covers campus entry in general, so carry your passport.

The US State Department advises visitors to use taxis or hired drivers rather than drive themselves in Egypt. It calls public buses, microbuses, Nile taxis and trains unsafe, and says most Cairo traffic lights do not work.

The department also warns that driving in Cairo can be very challenging for foreigners used to strict traffic rules. Allow extra time to reach downtown.

Traffic, palm trees and apartment blocks on Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, pictured in 2011. The square gives the festival campus its name. Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Tickets and Prices

The festival’s own ticket page links only to TicketsMarche, an Egyptian online ticket platform. Buying requires a TicketsMarche account, registered with an email address and a phone number.

Each of the three days is sold separately, with prices listed from EGP 500 to EGP 800 (about US$9.60 to US$15.30). The seller does not say which seats or areas each price buys.

A full-access pass for all three days costs EGP 1,000 (about US$19.10). Three single-day tickets would cost at least EGP 1,500 (about US$28.70), so the pass is cheaper for anyone attending every day.

The page showed no sold-out notice on Thursday, 8 October. Conversions use open.er-api.com market rates updated on 7 October 2026, when US$1 bought about EGP 52.31.

Entry Rules for US Citizens

US citizens need a visa to enter Egypt, according to the State Department. Passports must be valid for six months and have at least one blank page.

The department says Americans can get a single-entry, 30-day tourist visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport for US$36 by credit card. At other entry points, it lists a US$30 visa paid in exact US dollar cash.

The official alternative is Egypt’s e-visa portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg, which asks for applications at least seven days before departure. The State Department warns that many unofficial sites offer e-visas, some at double the price.

Bringing more than US$10,000 into or out of Egypt is illegal, and the excess may be confiscated, the department says. No vaccinations are required unless you arrive from a yellow fever area.

Safety in Cairo

The State Department rates Egypt Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing terrorism, crime and health. The advisory was issued on 15 July 2025, when the level was lowered to 2.

Level 4, Do Not Travel, covers North and Middle Sinai and Egypt’s border areas, and the Western Desert is also flagged. Cairo itself is not on that list.

The advisory calls crime in Cairo and Alexandria moderate, but lists urban Cairo among possible terrorist targets. It warns that terrorists target crowds with little or no warning, including at tourist sites.

Protesting without a permit is illegal in Egypt, the State Department notes. It says people have been arrested just for being near protests, so walk away from any gathering.

The US Embassy is at 5 Tawfik Diab Street in Garden City, Cairo, on +20-2-2797-3300. The same number works after hours for emergencies.

What It Means for You

In Cairo between 5 and 7 November, this is an inexpensive night of live music on a historic campus. Buy through TicketsMarche, the seller the festival links to, rather than through resellers.

The EGP 1,000 pass (about US$19.10) costs the same as two of the cheapest day tickets. It makes sense if you plan to go on two or three evenings.

Apply for the e-visa at least seven days before you fly, and carry your passport to the campus gate. Use a taxi or hired driver rather than driving, as the State Department advises.

Check the organisers’ programme page before you go, because set times on the two official sites differ.

What Is Not Known

It is not clear whether Hisham Kharma will play the opening night, since only the ticket page lists him. Set times for the Spannocchi, Torres and Linhares bands have not been published.

The ticket page mentions extra concerts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the library in Alexandria, without dates. The organisers’ own site does not mention Alexandria.

The organisers’ homepage names eight participating countries, while the ticket page says 12. Egypt Independent, a Cairo news site, reported more than 12 countries and Alexandria concerts for the 2025 edition.

The ticket page may therefore repeat last year’s text on both points. It does not explain what separates the EGP 500 and EGP 800 tickets (about US$9.60 and US$15.30).

Venues and times for the workshops, Jazz Talks, jam sessions and Jazzinino children’s events are not yet listed. Age limits and gate opening times are not stated on either site.

What Comes Next

The festival opens on Thursday, 5 November, and closes on Saturday, 7 November. Watch the festival website for the remaining set times and the fringe programme.

A late change to the line-up would not affect visa or entry rules for US visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Cairo Jazz Festival 2026?

It runs from Thursday, 5 November, to Saturday, 7 November 2026. Concerts are on two stages at the Tahrir Square campus of the American University in Cairo, downtown.

How much are tickets, and where do I buy them?

TicketsMarche, the seller the festival links to, lists day tickets at EGP 500 to 800 (about US$9.60 to US$15.30). A three-day pass costs EGP 1,000 (about US$19.10).

Do Americans need a visa to attend?

Yes, US citizens need a visa for Egypt, according to the State Department. They can buy one on arrival or apply online at least seven days before departure through the official e-visa portal.

Sources: Cairo Jazz Festival, official website; Cairo Jazz Festival, 2026 programme; Cairo Jazz Festival, about; Cairo Jazz Festival, tickets; TicketsMarche, Cairo Jazz Festival 2026; American University in Cairo, Tahrir Square campus; American University in Cairo, mission and history; American University in Cairo, Happening@AUC events portal; US State Department, Egypt travel advisory; US State Department, Egypt country information; Egypt e-visa portal; Egyptian Streets (10 October 2015); Egypt Independent (23 October 2025);Ahram Online (16 September 2026); open.er-api.com exchange rates (all accessed 8 October 2026).