Cairo · Nightlife

The city's longest-running live music venue, going more than two decades, with a nightly programme that swings between jazz, Arabic fusion, funk and DJ sets. Food and cocktails alongside the stage. Book a table on their site — walking in on a weekend rarely works.

A cultural centre built under the 15th of May bridge at the end of 26th of July Street in Zamalek, running concerts, stand-up, puppet theatre, cinema and seminars most nights. Shows usually start at 20:00 and most tickets land between LE 200 and LE 400; children are admitted from age 6 on a full-price ticket.

The state opera complex on Gezira island, home to the Cairo Symphony, the opera and ballet companies and the Arabic music ensembles, plus a large open-air stage. Programme and booking run through the house's own site and the Tazkarti ticketing platform; the Main Hall expects smart dress.

The evening show on the Giza plateau, narrated by the pharaohs over the pyramids and the Sphinx, run by the official Sound and Light company that also operates the Karnak, Philae, Abu Simbel, Edfu and Qaitbay shows. US$20 for adults, US$11 for children aged 6–12, booked direct.

The medieval market and the monument-lined street beside it are at their best in the evening, when the heat has gone and the mosques and sabils along al-Muizz are floodlit. The old coffee houses off the main lane serve tea, coffee and shisha until very late; nothing here needs a ticket.