Egypt Launches First Fustat Winter Festival to Spotlight Cairo’s New Cultural, Tourist Hub

Egypt’s Urban Development Fund has announced the launch of the first Fustat Winter Festival, set to take place at Al-Fustat Park from Nov. 14 to Dec. 5, marking a new addition to the country’s growing calendar of cultural and artistic events.

Eng. BKhaled Seddik, Chairman of the Urban Development Fund, said in an interview with Extra News that the festival comes as a continuation of the success of the New Alamein Summer Festival, highlighting Egypt’s ambition to position itself as a year-round destination for art, culture, and entertainment. 

Seddik described Al-Fustat Park — the largest urban park in the Middle East and Africa — as a new cultural asset that will place Cairo on the global tourism map. The winter festival, he said, serves as a “pre-opening celebration” for the park, which is envisioned as a fully integrated cultural and recreational destination.

The opening ceremony, scheduled for Friday, will feature a performance by renowned Egyptian composer Omar Khairat, followed by a series of artistic, cultural, and family-oriented activities throughout the three-week event. Weekend concerts, daytime cultural programs, and youth-focused activities are being organized in cooperation with the Ministries of Culture and Youth & Sports.

According to Seddik, the park’s design incorporates a wide variety of zones, including hotels with over 400 rooms, investment and leisure areas, open-air theaters, adventure zones, and botanical gardens featuring rare plant species collected from Egypt and abroad to suit the local environment.

He emphasized that the festival aims to transform Al-Fustat Park into a major tourism and cultural hub, adding that the project represents a successful example of urban regeneration — turning once-neglected areas into thriving landmarks of heritage and modernity.

With its blend of art, music, and nature, the Fustat Winter Festival is expected to attract visitors from across Egypt and beyond, reinforcing Cairo’s role as a regional capital of creativity and culture.