By The Rio Times | Created at 2026-10-17 23:11:16 | Updated at 2026-10-17 23:43:35
2 hours ago
TUNIS · Culture
JAOU Tunis 26 opens on Friday 23 October, Yasmine Hamdan plays the Conference Palace on Sunday 25 October, and tickets run from 5 TND (about US$2) to 100 TND (about US$33) for the JAOU pass. The rest of the month, day by day.
TUNIS — The second half of October is the busiest stretch of the Tunis cultural calendar. This guide lists what is on from Saturday 17 to Saturday 31 October, with venue, time and ticket price as shown by the ticketing platform tunis.events.
The anchor is JAOU Tunis 26, a contemporary art biennial that runs from 23 October to 22 November. Its concerts, dance and theatre fill the Conference Palace, B7L9 Art Centre and Le 4ème Art with tickets from as little as 5 TND (about US$2).
Prices below are converted at 1 TND = US$0.334 (RT, 17 October 2026, about 2.995 TND per US dollar). Every listing was checked on tunis.events on 17 October, and details can change, so confirm on the ticket page before you travel.
Key Facts
Who: expats, travellers and locals in Tunis, Gammarth, La Marsa and Sidi Bou Said.
What: JAOU Tunis 26 (23 October to 22 November) plus concerts, theatre and club nights.
Why it matters: tickets run from 5 TND (about US$2) to 100 TND (about US$33) for the JAOU pass; the full JAOU pass is 100 TND (about US$33).
Saturday 17 to Thursday 22 October: Club Night, Workshop and Film
Saturday 17 October, 19:45
Special Moonraker with Atef & Franco Cinelli
AÏNA, Gammarth · Ticket price not shown
An electronic night at AÏNA with two DJs, listed to run until about 04:00 on Sunday. The ticket page does not show a price, so check it before you go.
Sunday 18 October, 14:00
Ceramic Workshop with Cera Concepts
Studio FAN, Tunis · From 40 TND (about US$13)
A hands-on pottery session with little reliance on language. tunis.events marks it as almost full, so book soon if you want a place.
Thursday 22 October, 19:00
Movie Night: Papillon d’or
Sociale, Sidi Bou Said · From 20 TND (about US$7)
A film evening at Sociale, a venue in the hilltop village of Sidi Bou Said. The listing does not give film or language details, so ask the venue first.
Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October: JAOU Opens
Friday 23 October to Sunday 22 November
JAOU Tunis 26, Full Fest Access
Venues across Tunis · From 100 TND (about US$33)
The eighth JAOU Tunis is organised by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation with the Centre d’art contemporain Genève and the Fondation Art Explora. It hosts the Geneva Moving Image Biennial in Africa for the first time, with 16 artists commissioned for the edition.
Friday 23 October, 19:30
Gathering, Samar Haddad King / Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre
Le 4ème Art, Tunis · 5 TND (about US$2)
A dance-theatre evening at Le 4ème Art on Avenue de Paris. tunis.events lists JAOU as the ticket seller and marks the show as almost full.
Saturday 24 October, 20:30
C!S–T E M E R R O R: The H in my name is not silent
Le 4ème Art, Tunis · 5 TND (about US$2)
A performance piece by Nadim Bahsoun, listed with the same ticket seller as the other Le 4ème Art shows.
Sunday 25 October, 15:30
Glacier | Preset
B7L9 Art Centre, Bhar Lazreg · 5 TND (about US$2)
An afternoon performance by Enrico DauYang Wey at the free, non-profit art space run by the Kamel Lazaar Foundation.
Sunday 25 October, 18:00
Shabaab, Samar Haddad King / Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre
Le 4ème Art, Tunis · 5 TND (about US$2)
A second evening of the dance-theatre programme at Le 4ème Art, early enough to combine with a later concert.
Sunday 25 October, 19:30
Yasmine Hamdan & Soudeni
Conference Palace, Tunis · From 30 TND (about US$10)
The Lebanese-born singer, well known in Europe and the Arab world, plays the Palais des Congrès. It is the first of two headline concerts there this week.
Monday 26 to Thursday 29 October: Concerts and Performance
Monday 26 October, 19:00
Il Pleut, Il Plaint, Il Rage
Le 4ème Art, Tunis · 5 TND (about US$2)
A piece by Charles Brécard on the same low-price programme at Le 4ème Art.
Monday 26 October, 20:00
Shabaka / Obos: Vipa
Conference Palace, Tunis · From 30 TND (about US$10)
The second concert of the week at the Palais des Congrès, billed as Shabaka / Obos: Vipa. The ticket page gives no further detail on the line-up, so check the organiser’s announcement.
Tuesday 27 October, 19:00
Losing it, Samaa Wakim & Samar Haddad King
Le 4ème Art, Tunis · 5 TND (about US$2)
A dance performance at Le 4ème Art, one of several evenings there this month.
Wednesday 28 October, 20:00
Tuqus, Khalil Epi
Cité de la Culture, Théâtre des Régions · 5 TND (about US$2)
A midweek performance at the Cité de la Culture, the national cultural complex on Avenue Mohammed V.
Thursday 29 October, 19:30
Big Murk × Toumba × Julmud
B7L9 Art Centre, Bhar Lazreg · From 20 TND (about US$7)
A three-act music bill at B7L9, the Kamel Lazaar Foundation’s art space.
Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October: B7L9 Closes the Month
Friday 30 October, 19:30
Sacred Disorientation (Sara Dziri) / I, The Hybrid and the Antidote (Liliane Chlela)
B7L9 Art Centre, Bhar Lazreg · From 20 TND (about US$7)
A double bill of two artists’ performances at B7L9, billed together on one ticket page.
Saturday 31 October, 19:30
Nadah El Shazly
B7L9 Art Centre, Bhar Lazreg · From 20 TND (about US$7)
The Egyptian singer and composer is known for experimental Arab music. It is the last headline concert of the month in this guide.
Planning Your Tunis in October
Thursday 15 October was Evacuation Day, a public holiday, according to the Tunisian press and the official 2026 holiday calendar. The next one is Revolution Day on Thursday 17 December, so offices, banks and shops should keep normal hours from 17 to 31 October.
Tickets for almost every event above are sold through tunis.events, which lists prices in Tunisian dinars. Some low-price shows at Le 4ème Art are already marked almost full, so buy early.
Venues are spread across the metropolitan area: Le 4ème Art is on Avenue de Paris in the centre, B7L9 is in Bhar Lazreg, AÏNA is in Gammarth and Sociale is in Sidi Bou Said. Allow travel time if you plan two events in one day.
What It Means for You
For US visitors and remote workers in Tunis, JAOU is the clearest reason to plan an evening out this month. At about US$2 a ticket for many shows, it is one of the cheapest ways to meet the city’s artists and writers.
The programme also shows how the Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Geneva’s Centre d’art contemporain and Art Explora are bringing a European art biennial to North Africa. Readers following Tunisia’s cultural economy can watch whether the model repeats; read our Addis Ababa and Johannesburg guides for other African cities this month.
What Is Not Known
The Moonraker ticket page shows no price, and the Shabaka concert listing gives no line-up details. We have left out any event we could not confirm with the organiser or ticketing platform.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest event in Tunis in late October 2026?
JAOU Tunis 26, the contemporary art biennial, opens on Friday 23 October and runs to 22 November across venues in Tunis. A full-festival pass costs 100 TND (about US$33) on tunis.events.
Is there a public holiday in Tunis from 17 to 31 October 2026?
No. Evacuation Day fell on Thursday 15 October, and the next public holiday is Revolution Day on Thursday 17 December.
Where can I buy tickets for concerts and theatre in Tunis?
Most events in this guide are sold through tunis.events, with prices in Tunisian dinars. Some shows at Le 4ème Art are marked almost full.
How much are the cheapest shows?
Several JAOU performances at Le 4ème Art and B7L9 cost 5 TND (about US$2), while the Yasmine Hamdan and Shabaka concerts start at 30 TND (about US$10).
When do Yasmine Hamdan and Nadah El Shazly play Tunis?
Yasmine Hamdan & Soudeni play the Conference Palace on Sunday 25 October at 19:30. Nadah El Shazly plays B7L9 Art Centre on Saturday 31 October at 19:30.
