What to Do in Hurghada in October 2026, From Triathlon to Film
EGYPT · HURGHADA · EVENTS
Key Facts
- •The city Hurghada is the capital of Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate and a resort and diving town on the mainland coast, with El Gouna to the north and Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay to the south.
- •Why now The Africa and Arab Triathlon Championships race in Sahl Hasheesh from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, and the ninth El Gouna Film Festival runs from Thursday 15 to Friday 23 October.
- •The holiday Thursday 8 October is a paid public holiday for Armed Forces Day. Banks and government offices close, and banks reopen on Sunday 11 October.
- •For US travellers The US State Department rates Egypt Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”. US citizens can buy a 30-day tourist visa on arrival for US$30 in exact cash, or apply for an e-visa before travel.
- •The money The Egyptian pound closed at 52.37 to the US dollar on Tuesday 6 October, so EGP 1,000 is about US$19.
- •Still open The film festival’s screening schedule and public ticket prices were not yet published on 7 October.
Hurghada, on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, has two headline events in October 2026. The Africa and Arab Triathlon Championships race in the resort district of Sahl Hasheesh from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, and the ninth El Gouna Film Festival opens a short drive north on Thursday 15 October.
For an American visitor the month starts with a long weekend: Thursday 8 October is a public holiday for Armed Forces Day, so banks and government offices close, and banks reopen only on Sunday 11 October. It ends with a beach party under the full moon at Soma Bay on Tuesday 27 October.
This guide lists only events still ahead after Wednesday 7 October, each checked with the organiser, and says plainly where details such as prices have not been published.
Thursday 8 October: The Armed Forces Day Holiday
Thursday 8 October, all day
Armed Forces Day Public Holiday
Nationwide · Banks and government offices closed
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly moved the holiday for the anniversary of the October 1973 war from Tuesday 6 October to Thursday 8 October, giving government staff a long weekend. Egypt has moved several midweek holidays to the nearest Thursday since 2020. The Central Bank of Egypt said banks close on 8 October and reopen on Sunday 11 October. Get cash and finish any bank or government business before the holiday.
9 to 11 October: Africa and Arab Triathlon Championships
The Egyptian Triathlon Federation, the sport’s national governing body, hosts the 2026 Africa Triathlon Championships and the Arab Triathlon Championships together in Sahl Hasheesh, a resort district on the coast south of Hurghada. World Triathlon, the sport’s international federation, lists the events below. Elite athletes and national teams from across Africa and the Arab world race over a swim in the Red Sea, a bike leg and a run.
Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October
2026 Africa Triathlon Championships and Arab Triathlon Championships
Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada · Race venue on the beach in front of the Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh
The main championship weekend, with titles for both Africa and the Arab region.
Friday 9 October
Africa Duathlon Age-Group Championships
Baron Palace Sahl Hasheesh · Amateur race
A run, bike and run race for amateur athletes, grouped by age. The Baron Palace is also the event’s official hotel.
Saturday 10 October
Africa Triathlon Junior Cup Hurghada
Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada
A continental cup race for junior triathletes.
Sunday 11 October
Africa Aquathlon Championships
Sahl Hasheesh, Hurghada
The aquathlon combines a run and an open-water swim, with no bike leg, and closes the weekend.
15 to 23 October: The El Gouna Film Festival
Thursday 15 to Friday 23 October
El Gouna Film Festival, Ninth Edition
El Gouna, north of Hurghada · Tickets through TicketEgypt, linked from the festival website
The festival has run since 2017 in El Gouna, the lagoon resort town built by the Egyptian businessman Samih Sawiris, who chairs it. This year it shows more than 80 narrative, documentary and short films under the theme “Cinema for Humanity”, and gives the Egyptian actress Mona Zaki its Career Achievement Award. The Egyptian film “Safe Exit” is in the feature narrative competition.
The festival is also an industry meeting. Its CineGouna Forum has planned some 35 sessions, on subjects from who has the right to tell a story to the effect of AI on cinema, plus several masterclasses, and a new CineGouna Series workshop takes six television projects from the Arab world. The festival signed a cooperation agreement with Switzerland’s Zurich Film Festival in August.
For a visitor based in Hurghada, El Gouna is a separate resort town up the coast, so plan transport for evening screenings. The daily schedule was marked “coming soon” on the festival website on 7 October. More on the programme: El Gouna Film Festival, nine days of cinema on Egypt’s Red Sea.
Tuesday 27 October: Full Moon Party at Soma Bay
Tuesday 27 October
Full Moon Party at 7 Bft KiteHouse
Beach in front of the 7 Bft KiteHouse, Soma Bay · Price not published
The kite school 7 Bft KiteHouse holds a beach party with the ROBINSON Somabay resort at each full moon. The 27 October date is the last of its 2026 season, which began in May. Soma Bay lies further south than Sahl Hasheesh, so arrange a driver for the trip back.
What It Means for You
The US State Department rates Egypt at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, in an advisory dated 15 July 2025. It tells Americans not to travel to North and central Sinai, the Western Desert or Egypt’s border areas. Hurghada, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay are on the mainland Red Sea coast and outside those zones.
US citizens need a visa. At entry points other than Cairo airport, a 30-day tourist visa costs US$30, paid in exact US dollar cash, so carry small notes. The alternative is an e-visa from the Egyptian government’s visa2egypt.gov.eg site before you fly. Your passport must be valid for six months and have at least one blank page, and the State Department lists the currency limit for entering or leaving Egypt as less than US$10,000.
Plan cash around the holiday. With banks shut on Thursday 8 October and Egypt’s Friday and Saturday weekend following, bank branches are closed from Thursday to Saturday; hotel exchange desks and cash machines remain the fallback.
What Is Not Known
The El Gouna Film Festival had not published its daily schedule or public ticket prices by 7 October, and no prices were visible on its ticket site. The triathlon organisers have not published race start times or any spectator tickets, although their event pages say the beach venue offers good viewing for spectators, and the 7 Bft KiteHouse has not published a price for its party.
Other events advertised for the month, among them a music showcase at an undisclosed location in El Gouna on 8 October, could not be confirmed with an organiser and are left out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main events in Hurghada in October 2026?
The Africa and Arab Triathlon Championships in Sahl Hasheesh from 9 to 11 October, the El Gouna Film Festival from 15 to 23 October, and a full moon beach party at Soma Bay on 27 October.
Is there a public holiday in Egypt in October 2026?
Yes. Thursday 8 October is a paid public holiday for Armed Forces Day. It covers government and public-sector staff, and banks close until Sunday 11 October.
Do US citizens need a visa for Hurghada?
Yes. A 30-day tourist visa costs US$30 in exact cash on arrival at entry points other than Cairo airport, or you can apply for an e-visa in advance. The passport must be valid for six months.
Is Hurghada safe for American visitors?
The US State Department rates Egypt Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”. Its do-not-travel zones are North and central Sinai, the Western Desert and the border areas, not the Red Sea resorts around Hurghada.
Sources: World Triathlon, 2026 Africa Triathlon Championships Hurghada, World Triathlon, Africa Duathlon Age-Group Championships, World Triathlon, Africa Triathlon Junior Cup Hurghada, World Triathlon, Africa Aquathlon Championships, El Gouna Film Festival, highlights of the ninth edition, 22 September 2026, El Gouna Film Festival, website and Safe Exit announcement, 4 October 2026, 7 Bft KiteHouse Soma Bay, full moon party season 2026, Arab Finance, cabinet holiday decision, 30 September 2026, Arab Finance, Central Bank of Egypt bank holiday, 4 October 2026, US State Department, Egypt travel advisory, US State Department, Egypt entry requirements. All retrieved 7 October 2026. Exchange rate: Tuesday 6 October 2026 close, 52.37 Egyptian pounds per US dollar.
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