Not to be missed: Citadel Festival launch, High Dam in Alexandria, Marwan Pablo in New Alamein - Music - Arts & Culture

Al-Ahram Weekly

2 days ago

Ahram Online highlights a selection of do-not-miss events this week from 14 to 20 August in Cairo, Alexandria, and New Alamein.
New films across cinemas
starting 14 August
- Nobody 2, starring RZA, John Ortiz, Bob Odenkirk, and Connie Nielsen.
- Materialist, starring Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, and Dakota Johnson.
- Grand Prix of Europe, starring Hayley Atwell, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Gemma Arterton.
33rd edition of the Citadel Festival for Music and Singing
The festival will launch on 15 August with more than one concert presented at the stages of the Salah Eldin Citadel.
This week, the festival will feature Wust El-Balad band (15 August), Sufi chanter Sheikh Yassin El-Tohamy (17 August), Hisham Abbas (18 August), Mostafa Haggag (19 August), among many other soloists, bands, and orchestras.
Check the Cairo Opera House's Facebook page for more information.
High Dam, Gawy & Moga bands - music
Friday, 15 August, 8:30pm
Open-Air Theatre (Plaza), Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
This triple bill showcases popular Egyptian bands in one evening.
High Dam, formed in April 2012, is known for its Nubian and African-inspired music. The band members come from both Alexandria and Nubia.
Gawy are known for their music that fuses Oriental sounds with Western traditions, carrying mostly a light-spirited and meditative feel. One of their songs, titled Atshan Ya Zeina, has been featured in the American sci-fi action film Black Widow.
The concert is part of the ongoing 22nd Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival.
Read more about the festival here.
Marwan Pablo, Lege-Cy, Shehab - music
Friday, 15 August, 10pm
U Arena, New Alamein, North Coast
The triple bill brings three renowned Egyptian rappers to one stage.
Marwan Pablo's career kicked off in the mid-2010s when he was known as Dama.
Later, he adopted the Marwan Pablo name in 2017 upon the release of his first single, Al Gholaf X Ozoris (The Cover X Ozoris). The success of this song prompted him to write and produce other tracks, popularizing trap music in his hometown, Alexandria.
Pablo collaborated with numerous rappers, creating a network of musicians who strongly influence their fans in Egypt and the Arab region.
Lege-Cy has three EPs and one album. His most listened-to songs are Arafa and Betadeen, which have garnered millions of views on YouTube.
Shehab, also known as ELDab3, is an Egyptian rapper who initially gained recognition as a music producer before transitioning into rapping around 2016.
He officially debuted with his first single, My Zone, released in 2019 — a track that marked his entry into the rap scene
The upcoming concert is part of the ongoing 3rd New Alamein Festival. Check the festival's highlights here.
Yassin Mahgoub - music
Saturday, 16 August, 8:30pm
Open-Air Theatre (Plaza), Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
Yassin Mahgoub is a singer, composer, music producer, sound engineer, vocal coach, and actor from Alexandria.
His artistic journey began in 2012 with the formation of the band Qarar Ezala, an oriental progressive rock band.
The concert is part of the ongoing 22nd Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival. Read more about the festival here.
Ahmed Saad - music
Saturday, 16 August
Beach Resort, Marassi
Ahmed Saad is a prominent pop/shaabi Egyptian singer known for his emotional ballads.
He launched his music career in the early 2000s and soon became a staple in Egyptian film and television soundtracks with songs blending traditional Arabic vocal stylings with modern pop and electronic elements.
He frequently collaborates with major actors, including his brother Amr Saad.
Saad's upcoming concert is part of the Layali Marassi, a summer series providing performances of the best-known singers at the Beach Resort, Marassi.
The concerts take place each Saturday until the end of August.
Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo - film
Sunday, 17 August, 8:30pm
Bibliotheca Auditorium, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
The film is directed by Khaled Mansour and co-written by Mohamed El-Hosseiny.
Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo is an Egyptian film that premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti Extra section.
The film had its Egyptian premiere in January 2025 and was subsequently released in 100 cinemas across the Arab world.
The film screening is part of the ongoing 22nd Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival. Read more about the festival here.
Aida Al-Ayoubi - music
Tuesday, 18 August, 8:30pm
Great Hall, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria
Al-Ayoubi's singing career launched in 1991 with her biggest hit, Ala Bali (On my Mind).
As a singer, composer, and songwriter, she produced three albums, Ala Bali, Rafiq Omry and Min Zaman, between 1991 and 1996.
Al-Ayoubi then disappeared from the music scene and returned quietly in 2004 with a Sufi music album that was partially broadcast on Egyptian TV in Ramadan.
In 2011, she joined the band Cairokee for their hit song Ya El-Midan (Oh Square), a nostalgic favourite among many revolutionaries.
In recent years, Al-Ayoubi started performing more frequently across numerous Egyptian stages.
Her upcoming concert is part of the ongoing 22nd Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival. Read more about the festival here.
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