Tahrir CultureFest 2025: Voices of Cairo

Performances, panels, bazaars and more: This year’s AUC Tahrir CultureFest, which took place from April 10 to 12 at the Tahrir Square campus, had offerings for everyone. But beyond fun programming, the CultureFest, now in its second year, was a chance to build meaningful human connections and community for residents and visitors of Cairo, right in the heart of the city.

“I love the work that AUC does; it’s really great,” said Jude, an expat from New Zealand who now lives in Cairo and attended with her visiting friend Ros.

The Gaza Salute Choir was one event that seemed to deeply move the audience and particularly touch Palestinian residents in Cairo. Ghada Ziada, a 45-year-old woman from Gaza who came to Cairo two months after October 7, 2023, has found a sense of belonging and resilience through the Tahrir CultureFest. “Coming from Gaza, we missed these cultural events,” she said. “So we enjoyed this performance, and we feel resilient.”

“My mother, who is 75 years old and can barely move, insisted on coming today.”

This is Ziada’s second year at the nascent CultureFest, and she now takes it upon herself to share the link with her family members through Facebook: “We came together both this year and last year for this event,” she said. Ziada first learned about AUC through last year’s CultureFest and got the idea for her daughter Jana to apply. Now, she told us Jana is an architecture student at AUC.

The choir performance had a powerful meaning for Palestinian-Egyptians as well. “My mother, who is 75 years old and can barely move, insisted on coming today,” said Mahmoud Sameh, a 37-year-old Egyptian with Palestinian and Sudanese ancestry. “Since I’m half Palestinian, this event means a lot to me. It’s so nostalgic to see the choir with little kids from Gaza since I had my own experience singing in a Palestinian choir as a child.”

Sameh was able to enjoy the diverse offerings at AUC with many family members, including his sister, an architect who attended the panel on Cairo’s Architecture: A Cosmopolitan Canvas. “Everyone in the family is running all over here to attend different parts of the fest,” he said.

Ahmed Omar, also an architect who attended the architecture panel and Gaza Salute Choir performance, really appreciated the offerings at the festival. “The events were affirmative and entertaining, and I collected some gifts for my wife and mother from the bazaar,” he said. “I also just reserved the Cairo Steps concert for later tonight.” This was Omar’s second year attending the CultureFest, and he said he had previously enrolled in a project management program at AUC several years ago.

“Everyone in the family is running all over here to attend different parts of the fest.”

Though some talks and panels were academic and professional, the festival was also family-friendly. “My kid Farida did all the activities like coloring, painting, face painting and T-shirt printing,” said Ahmed Youssef, a 39-year-old from Sheikh Zayed who attended with his wife and child all three days after coming to last year’s CultureFest. “The event is good for the kids, and I love the live music,” he said. Youssef is hoping to complete a business course at AUC next month.

The events attracted Cairo locals from all age groups and fields, including the city’s youth. Habiba Younes, 19, and her group of friends are studying Japanese at Cairo University, and they attended the CultureFest for the Japanese calligraphy event. “The vibes are really good,” the girls said.

For people who live near AUC Tahrir Square and want to integrate in Cairo’s community, the CultureFest — and other University events — always leave a positive mark. Outside of the festival, Jude from New Zealand is a regular at AUC. “There are lots of interesting book events from the bookstore and cultural events on campus. They’re very easy to access,” she said.