Cairo Photo Week is back and it’s about to take over Downtown with some seriously unmissable visual storytelling. We’re talking over 100 activities, and 20 exhibitions, with big names like National Geographic, Vogue, and Getty Images all in one place.
From 8 to 18 May 2025, the main venue, Radio Cinema, along with 14 other locations across Cairo, will be buzzing with creative energy.
From the golden light of Aswan to the streets of Gaza, and a deep dive into football culture across the Middle East, these exhibitions hit hard and hit home. Here are five exhibitions that should be at the top of your list.
L’Égypte – Goethe-Institut Cairo
May 8–28
This Cairo Photo Week exhibition digs into the archives of Swiss photographer Fred Boissonnas, who toured Egypt in the 1920s on a mission from King Fuad I. His stunning 1932 book may be forgotten, but this exhibit brings it all back, 4,000 preserved images of landscapes, people, and everyday life. Vintage Egypt? Yes please.
The Nile Surfers – Cairo Design District
May 6–16
Photographer Coucla Refaat captures pure magic in Aswan, where a group of local boys turn the Nile into their playground, surfing, singing, and vibing with the river. This isn’t just a docu-series, it’s a love letter to Aswan’s light, soul, and fearless joy. If you’re into sun-drenched visuals and stories that radiate culture, this Cairo Photo Week exhibition is for you.
The Lifespan of a Face – Beit Bab El Louk, Mansour Street
May 9–18
Found photos from mid-century Egypt get a second life in this poetic exhibition. The Lifespan of a Face collects forgotten Egyptian portraits from the 1950s–80s. No names. No backstories. Just faces: framed, faded, and reimagined. It’s a quiet reflection on memory, loss, and what photos leave behind.
FOOTBALL – 37 Talaat Harb
May 8–18
Presented by Digitent x Middle East Archive, this exhibition is for every football fan who knows the game is about way more than just goals. Pulled from a killer book by Middle East Archive, the photos span decades and countries—Egypt, Palestine, Iran, Syria, Morocco, you name it—showing how football moves through street games, protest, and pride.
Through Their Lens: Gaza Untold Stories – The Hanger
Opening Night: May 8 at 6 PM
Shot by Gaza-based photographers like Mahmoud Abu Hamda, Fatima Shbair, and Jehad Alshrafi, this exhibition documents life under siege. It features the pain, resistance, and survival in one of the world’s most brutal genocides.
Supported by the Photo Humanity Grant, it’s raw, emotional, and necessary. A must-see for anyone who believes in the power of images to speak truth.
Cairo Photo Week is turning Downtown into a visual maze of stories, feels, and photos you won’t forget. From intimate portraits to political storytelling, it’s a creative takeover.
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