Theatre · Modern · 1988
Cairo, live on stage.
Cairo
Cairo Opera House is a working performing-arts complex on Gezira, where the experience depends on the day’s concerts, theatre, ballet and exhibitions.
Get to know this place
Theatre · Modern · Built 1988
Egypt’s present opera house opened on Gezira in 1988 with Japanese support, years after the old Khedivial Opera House burned in 1971. The current building is a new chapter in an institutional history that reaches back to Cairo’s opera house of 1869.
Performance halls and cultural spaces sit within relatively open grounds, with architecture that adapts elements of Islamic design. The experience depends on the programme, from music to ballet and other performances. Crossing the outdoor spaces towards a hall gives the visit a sense of arrival at a cultural occasion within the city.
Details worth pausing for
Main Hall
Concerts
Ballet and opera
Gezira cultural cluster
Hours, prices and practical details
Prices in EGP and subject to change. Confirm with the venue before visiting.
Tips and things to know
Check the programme before visiting.
Arrive early for ticketed evening performances.
Good to know
Address and directions
Opera Grounds, Gezira, Zamalek, Cairo
Nearest landmark: Gezira
Nearest metro: Opera
The best route depends on your starting point. Navigate to Opera Grounds, Gezira, Zamalek, Cairo; for Historic Cairo sites, expect to walk the final part through narrow streets.
Get directions ↗The places closest to Cairo Opera House, to make a day of it.
Mahmoud Mokhtar MuseumA modern image of Egypt carved in stone100 m · about 1 min on foot
Cairo TowerCairo from above Gezira.500 m · about 7 min on foot
Andalus GardenA Nile-side pause between two design traditions.650 m · about 9 min on foot
Distances and times are estimates from where each place sits on the map; the actual route may differ.
Stops close to each other, in an order we tried. Follow it as it is, or make it your own.
Photo: Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.0
A suggested route · Family
An easy family outing in the city centre: a Nile-side garden, the Cairo Tower, Mokhtar’s sculptures and the Fish Garden grottoes children love. Ideal for weekends and Eid.
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