The Bibliotheca Alexandrina will open its summer festival on Monday, with the 15th annual summer festival set to be the longest ever in the institution's history at seven weeks. The festival, which runs until 26 August, will feature over 60 artistic events, including concerts, plays, dance performances, film screenings, and family-friendly events. The inauguration programme will take place from Monday to Wednesday and will feature a special programme, “Experience China”, which focuses on China, the guest of honour. The celebration will include an exhibition featuring photos of Xinjiang, an exhibition of Xinjiang's national musical instruments, three film screenings, and a performance of the Xinjiang national dance. Over the coming weeks, the festival's music programme will feature several independent local bands such as Cairokee, Black Theama, Massar Egbari, Andromeda, and Wust El Balad. Distinguished stars of Egyptian tarab such as Hany Shaker, Ali El-Haggar, and Hanan Mady will also perform, as will Egyptian musicians including Omar Khairat, Fouad and Mounib, Ahmed Rabie, and Hisham Kharma. Young singers participating in this year's events include Mohamed Mohsen, Dina El-Wedidi, Ali El-Helbawy, and May Abd El-Aziz. The festival will also feature concerts by Moroccan artist Oum, Tareq Al-Nasser from Jordan, Nasser El-Mizdawi from Libya, and Asia Madani from Sudan. The festival will include a concert by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Orchestra on 15 July, conducted by maestro Nayer Nagui and featuring Mona Wassef on harp and Israa Abdel Aziz on piano, as well as a variety of light classical works with violin soloist and conductor Khaled Sheweikh on 19 July. The orchestra will showcase young musicians conducted by Shadi Abdel Salam on 17 August and on 21 August, a special programme titled Memories 3 will feature Ahmed Harfoush and Dalia Farid in a concert conducted by Mohamed Saad Basha. Among the highlights of theatre segment will be plays such as Jacket Pocket, based on Khaled El-Sawy's play The Ring and directed by Fathy El-Nakeeb (27 July), An Indoor Night directed by Sameh El-Hadary (2 August), The Night of the Murder in Jenin directed by Mohamed Abd El-Sabour (15 August), and The Marathon directed by Ahmed Samir (16 August). See the festival's complete programme here. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
