Photo : لا روسا — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cairo · Gezira, Zamalek
Cairo Opera House
Three halls on Gezira island, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra — and no main hall without a jacket.
The khedivial opera house of 1869, where Aida had its première in 1871, burned down in 1971, and Egypt went seventeen years without an opera house. The present building, built with Japanese aid and opened in 1988, stands within the National Cultural Centre on Gezira island: a main hall, a small hall, an open-air theatre. It houses the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, the ballet company, the Arabic music ensemble and the choir; the season runs from autumn to spring, and the audience is Cairene rather than passing through. The Museum of Modern Egyptian Art stands in the same grounds, a hundred metres away.
The extra bit
The open-air theatre, in spring and autumn, is the easiest way in: lighter programming, a looser dress code, and the concert played under the trees.
Know before you go
The main hall enforces evening dress and turns away any man who arrives without a jacket; none will be lent to you. Seats are bought at the box office on site a few days ahead, and the big concerts fill up. The programme changes month by month; you will find it posted in the foyer and at the box office, not here. Phones and cameras do not come into the hall, and there is a security check at the gate of the complex, so allow a few minutes.
