In these pages you will hopefully find interesting tips on how to take advantage of Cairo's many cultural opportunities, with particular attention to live events. Cairo Live Events Guide does not pretend to be exhaustive but will try to cover main events open to the public.

This is a private, independent, nonprofit endeavour. This blog was started in August 2008 by Cairowanderer who has been running it solo up to May 2011. Since then Cairene Beat contributes as well to the blog. If you have any comment, tip, or information you think might be relevant for the blog, please write to cairowanderer@gmail.com or cairenebeat@gmail.com.

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Monday, September 1, 2008

Cairo Opera House


The New Cairo Opera House is situated in a large compound in the south of the island of Zamalek and is comprised of a Main Hall, a Small Hall and an Open Air Theater. The main entrance, which is also the car park entrance, is on Mahmoud Mukhtar Rd. which is a one way street, so you are forced to come from Umm Kalsum Rd. (called also al-Gabalaya, basically Zamalek corniche facing Giza) and then turn left just after the El Ahli Club entrance. There is also a Metro Station of the Green Line (Shubra El Kheima – El Mouneeb) nearby, called … surprise, surprise, Opera. Finally, if you are strolling around or take a romantic carriage ride, you can avail yourself of the east entrance, just off the Qasr El Nil bridge.
The Cairo Opera House is the home of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, of the Cairo Opera Orchestra, Choir and Ballet Company and of the National Arab Music Ensemble, plus a number of other smaller companies.

Tickets for local productions range from 15 to 50 EGP for the Main Hall and between 10 and 20 EGP for the Small Hall. Tickets can be normally purchased the same evening of the performance at the box office near the entrance but beware that ballets and operas are very popular so it's a good idea to get tickets in advance, if you can.
In the Opera grounds there is a big parking lot (5 EGP) where I never had problems finding place.
Inside the Main Hall there is a very nice cafeteria in the ground floor and a smaller kiosk run by the same people on the first floor. Before and after most performances in the Main Hall, you can find CDs and DVDs for sale at the Entrance Foyer. In the first floor you can find a small but pretty display of old opera costumes, scores, posters and pictures


Be aware that jacket & tie are required for the Main Hall.

Address: Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel. Info 27398144, Tel. Box Office 27390132

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