Cairo Opera House

A gift from Japan

The current Cairo Opera House opened in 1988, a gift from Japan following an earlier opera house on a different site was lost to fire decades before. It now houses the Cairo Opera Company (established 1964), the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Egypt, and hosts the Cairo International Film Festival among its major annual events.

What's on

The main cultural season runs roughly October through April, with opera, ballet, symphony concerts and traditional Arab music programmed across the complex's several halls, the largest seating around 1,200. Outside the main season the calendar is thinner, so it's worth checking listings for your travel dates rather than assuming there will be a show every night.

Visiting without a ticket

Even without attending a performance, the complex is worth a stop for the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art housed within it, a collection of over 13,000 works charting a century of Egyptian creative output, plus the surrounding gardens, cafes and a gift shop.

Practical tips

Dress code for evening performances is generally formal or semi-formal — this is enforced more strictly than casual travelers sometimes expect, so check current requirements before planning an opera night around it. Book tickets online or at the box office in advance for popular performances. The venue sits on Gezira Island close to Zamalek, an easy taxi or Uber ride from most central hotels.

Frequently Asked Questions