Before the hipsters moved to Vent, Bikya was the place to be. Bikya's launch three years ago started a trend of book cafes all over the city and quickly became where Cairo's literati went to have coffee among books next to a quiet park in Nasr City. But Bikya's most distinguishable feature was its focus on musical performances and its key role in supporting budding artists in Cairo. Over the past two years, the venue has hosted many upcoming talents who have since seen their fan base grow and have taken their talents elsewhere, thanks to Bikya's support. Shortly after its launch, Bikya opened another venue in Maadi, next to McDonald's on Road 9. The Maadi branch hosted the popular Future Shorts, which sold out in days. The Maadi venue boasted a larger, more strategically placed space, but Nasr City remains Bikya's signature location. Famous for its homey feel, Bikya has developed a strong sense of community and has a healthy share of regulars among its clientele. To celebrate their third birthday, their Nasr City venue will be welcoming its community back and outdoing previous celebrations with three days of music performances, taking place over the weekend. To make room for an anticipated large crowd, Bikya is removing all furniture and emptying their Nasr City space to make room for people and musical equipment. Starting next Thursday, each day will feature four performances by some of the most popular talents in the city's music scene, starting at 7.15pm. Thursday will feature Hassan Ramzy, comedy duo High on Body Fat, Grey Grass, and Glass Onion. Readers might remember High on Body Fat from Arabs Got Talent and Grey Grass as the band who impressed Bikya audiences with a mash up of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, while Glass Onion are famous for performing Beatles covers. On Friday, audiences will be treated to Malak and The Natives, Rash Radio, Hany Must Band and Rain Dogs. Saturday will have two surprise performances along with Farida El-Gueretly's vocal talents and The Cadillacs, who cover rock ‘n' roll music of artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, Little Richard, Stray Cats and Johnny Cash. Tickets will be available at the door and will cost EGP 40 per day, but we recommend getting there early to ensure you won't miss out on the performances. Happy birthday, Bikya.
