Cairo International Film Festival 2026: 11 to 20 November
EXPATS & NOMADS · CAIRO
Key Facts
- —Date Wednesday 11 November to Friday 20 November 2026 (47th edition)
- —Venue Cairo Opera House, Gezira island, Cairo, where, according to festival president Hussein Fahmy, the festival now has a permanent headquarters
- —Tickets Not on sale yet; the full programme is due at a press conference on Monday 12 October. Watch ciff.org.eg and the official CIFF app
- —Prices Not yet published
- —For US visitors Visa required: a 30-day tourist visa on arrival (fee in US dollars cash) or an e-Visa from US$30 single entry
One of the oldest film festivals in the Arab world and Africa returns to the Cairo Opera House for ten days in November. For a US visitor it is a chance to see new Arab and world cinema in the heart of Cairo, with the Nile on one side and Zamalek on the other.
The Cairo International Film Festival 2026 will run from Wednesday 11 November to Friday 20 November, the festival has confirmed on its official website. It is the 47th edition, and, according to its president, the first since the festival set up a permanent headquarters inside the Cairo Opera House, the arts complex on Gezira island in the middle of the Nile. Festival president Hussein Fahmy, one of Egypt’s best-known actors, told reporters at the end of September that the line-up, the guests and the rest of the programme will be presented at a press conference on Monday 12 October.
For anyone travelling from the United States, the practical picture is simple for now. The dates are fixed, the venue is fixed, and tickets are not yet on sale. Flights and a hotel can be booked today. Screenings, prices and the box office arrangements should become clear in the week after 12 October. Americans need a visa for Egypt, which can be bought online or on arrival.
What the Festival Is and Why It Matters
The Cairo International Film Festival, known as CIFF, was founded in 1976 and describes itself as one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the Arab world and Africa. It is recognised by FIAPF, the international federation of film producers’ associations, in the same top competitive category as Cannes, Venice and Berlin.
The festival’s top prize is the Golden Pyramid. Fahmy said at his annual meeting with Egyptian journalists in late September that honorary awards must match the festival’s standing. The Golden Pyramid goes to figures with a long body of film work, and the Faten Hamama award, named after the late Egyptian star, to actors with a distinctive screen career. Earlier recipients of the Faten Hamama prize include Khaled Nabawy, Ahmed Ezz and Karim Abdel Aziz.
Audiences have been growing. According to Fahmy, the 46th edition, in November 2025, drew about 10,000 more viewers than the edition before it. He also said the festival was hard to win for Hollywood names, because some international stars now ask for travel and hosting costs of up to US$500,000 to walk a red carpet, a sum its sponsors cannot pay. Instead the festival is looking further afield: he said a well-known Chinese star had accepted an invitation to attend this year.
What Is New in 2026
Several changes have already been announced, even before the full line-up. The most visible is the venue. Fahmy said the festival has moved into a permanent headquarters inside the Cairo Opera House grounds, something he had wanted since his first term as president. He said the building is already open and receiving delegations.
There is a new children’s strand, Cairo Kids, with five or six films for viewers aged three and up, mixing classics and animation. For families travelling with children, it is a new reason to plan a few afternoons around the festival.
Restored Egyptian classics will again play a part. Fahmy said the holding company that owns 130 Egyptian films has restored 23 so far, most recently Shafika el-Qebtiya and Ma’boudat al-Gamaheer, with four more in progress. For foreign visitors, these restored prints are one of the rare chances to see Egypt’s golden-age cinema on a big screen with an audience that knows every line.
The festival has also set a firm rule on artificial intelligence: films made with AI will not be shown, in line with other FIAPF-accredited festivals. A new project called From Book to Screen brings in ten Egyptian publishers, each proposing a novel for adaptation to producers and streaming platforms.
On the industry side, the festival runs Cairo Industry Days alongside the public programme, including the Cairo Film Connection co-production market, the Cairo’s XR extended reality programme in its second edition and the New Wave strand for emerging Egyptian filmmakers, also in its second year.
The Venue and How to Get There
The Cairo Opera House sits at the southern end of Gezira island, between downtown Cairo on the east bank of the Nile and Dokki on the west. The complex opened in 1988 and holds several halls, gardens and the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art next door. Cairo Tower, the city’s best-known viewpoint, stands a short walk to the north.
The easiest way in is the Cairo Metro. Line 2 has a station called Opera right at the complex, and the same line runs to Tahrir Square (Sadat station) downtown. Ride-hailing apps work across Cairo and are the usual choice for visitors at night. Traffic around the bridges to Gezira can be heavy in the early evening, when many screenings begin, so allow extra time.
Staying in Zamalek, the leafy district on the northern half of the same island, puts you within walking distance or a short ride of the festival. Downtown and Garden City hotels are also close. In November Cairo is seven hours ahead of New York and ten ahead of Los Angeles, as Egypt’s summer time has ended by then.
Tips for US and Foreign Visitors
Entry. US citizens need a visa for Egypt. The US State Department says Americans can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival, paid in US dollars cash, and that passports must be valid for six months with at least one blank page. Egypt’s official e-Visa portal, run by the Ministry of Interior, sells a single-entry tourist visa for US$30 and a multiple-entry visa for US$65, paid by card in advance. Use only the government portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg.
Safety. The State Department rates Egypt at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, in an advisory issued in July 2025. Its warnings centre on the northern and middle Sinai, the Western Desert and border zones, none of which are near the festival. In Cairo the main concerns for visitors are pickpocketing and overcharging in tourist areas. The advisory also notes that protests are illegal without a permit and that Egypt treats dual US-Egyptian nationals solely as Egyptian citizens.
Costs. Egypt is one of the cheaper major destinations for American travellers, but prices in hotels and restaurants aimed at foreigners are often set close to international levels. Our guide to Cost of Living in Cairo 2026: What Foreigners Actually Spend gives a sense of everyday prices. Carry some US dollars in cash for a visa on arrival, and use cards or local cash in Egyptian pounds elsewhere.
Dress and etiquette. Evening galas and red-carpet nights at the Opera House are formal. Regular screenings are relaxed, but modest dress is wise across Cairo. Check each film’s listing for language and subtitles once the programme is out.
More Culture in Egypt This Autumn
The Cairo festival closes a busy season for film and music in Egypt. The El Gouna Film Festival on the Red Sea comes first, from 15 to 23 October. In Giza, the Egyptian soprano Fatma Said performs with conductor Nader Abbassi at the Grand Egyptian Museum on Thursday 29 October. All seven ticket tiers for that concert, priced from EGP 2,500 to EGP 12,000 (about US$48 to US$230 at the 2 October rate), were shown as sold out on the official seller, TicketsMarché, on 5 October.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
The festival has not yet published its 2026 programme. The opening and closing films, the competition line-up, the jury, the honorary award winners and the name of the Chinese guest are all expected at the 12 October press conference or in the weeks that follow.
Ticket prices, the sales platform and the box office opening date for 2026 have not been announced. Nor has the full list of screening halls for this edition. This guide will be useful for planning dates and travel now, but buyers should wait for the official announcement before paying anyone for passes.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Cairo International Film Festival 2026?
The 47th Cairo International Film Festival runs from Wednesday 11 November to Friday 20 November 2026, based at the Cairo Opera House on Gezira island. The festival will announce its full programme, films and guests at a press conference on Monday 12 October.
How do I buy tickets for the Cairo Film Festival?
Tickets for the 2026 edition are not on sale yet and prices have not been published. Sales details are expected after the 12 October press conference. Follow the official website, ciff.org.eg, and the official CIFF app, and avoid resellers.
Do Americans need a visa to visit Egypt for the festival?
Yes. US citizens need a visa. According to the US State Department, they can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival, paid in US dollars cash. Egypt’s official e-Visa portal sells a single-entry tourist visa for US$30 and a multiple-entry one for US$65. The passport must be valid for six months.
Sources: Cairo International Film Festival, official website, About page and news releases on the 47th edition (11 to 20 November 2026); Al-Ahram Gate, 29 September 2026, on Hussein Fahmy’s meeting with journalists; Al-Ayam al-Masriya and Hadith Watan on the 12 October press conference; Egypt Ministry of Interior, e-Visa portal; US Department of State, Egypt country information and travel advisory; TicketsMarché, Fatma Said at the Grand Egyptian Museum; Enterprise, 14 September 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief