Arab Music Festival 2026

What is the Arab Music Festival?

The Arab Music Festival and Conference is the Cairo Opera House's annual celebration of Arabic music, combining nightly concerts by established and rising singers with a scholarly conference and competitions. The 2026 edition runs over eleven nights, one more than in 2025, and is dedicated to Hany Shaker, who led Egypt's Musicians' Syndicate from 2015 to 2022. Two competitions run alongside the concerts, and registration for international residents with valid Egyptian visas closes on 11 October 2026. Further concerts are planned at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria and the Damanhour Opera House.

Audiences range from families and music lovers to critics, composers and broadcasters, and the concerts are widely followed on television and social media. Sponsors and partner brands benefit from concert photography, behind-the-scenes clips and timely social content during the festival period. Many concerts sell out, and highlights circulate quickly on social platforms across the Arab world. Partners that plan photography and video in advance can capture performances, audience moments and backstage material that remain useful for cultural and brand communications well beyond the festival's final night on 30 October.