Egypt: Salah El Din Citadel Festival 2021 announces line-up

This event is organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Cairo Opera House, one of leading performing arts venues in the Egyptian capital. Last year’s edition of the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.

The programme includes performances by Egyptian, Arab and international musicians. Previously editions have featured artists from Algeria, China, Namibia and Venezuela.

Confirmed acts include Wust El Balad Team, Mai Farouk, Ahmed Effat, Jawharat Al Sharq Ensemble, Sheikh Yassin El Tohamy, stars of the Cairo Opera and Ballet Ensemble, Ali El Haggar, Nadia Mustafa and Hani Shaker, among many others.

The event will honour 12 artistic and administrative individuals who have contributed to enriching the Egyptian creative scene, including singer Amjad Al Atafi, pianist and arranger Amr Selim and musician Reem Kamal.

Meanwhile, Egyptian rapper and producer Marwan Moussa will perform at the Zamalek Theatre in Cairo on 6 August. Last year, the 23-year-old musician was named Egypt’s most-streamed artist on Spotify, overtaking legendary musician Amr Diab.

“We’re witnessing the rise of Egyptian hip hop first-hand on Spotify, and we’re also seeing fans outside of the Arab world connecting with the genre,” the head of artist and label partnerships at Spotify in the MENA region, Wissam Khodur, told Daily News Egypt. “This is only the beginning for Egyptian hip hop, and we expect it to continue skyrocketing.”