Tips from the culture desk: From jazz to dates via Keizer

As well as the four Cairo-centric tips below, we recommend catching the last days of Zawya’s Mohamed Khan tribute in Cairo, Ismailia or Port Said.

In Cairo, swing by the Modern Egypt Project exhibition and talks taking place at the Kodak Passageway until Wednesday, which is also the day of the wonderful Cimatheque-Eish & Malh collaboration Dinner at the Movies (remember to reserve in advance). On Friday, the much-anticipated annual Panorama of the European Film launches at downtown Cairo’s Zigzag with a Habibi Funk party — the actual program runs from November 2 to 12.

Keizer exhibition — opens Sunday

Whatever you think of the idea of perusing saleable graffiti in a gallery instead of experiencing it on the street, this should be an interesting opportunity to see what Keizer has been working on. One of several graffiti artists who gained fame during the 2011 revolution — with images like his stenciled ants and his depiction Disney’s Snow White armed — the anonymous artist’s work has always been diverse, including international as well as local symbols, words and abstract patterns, and ranging from angrily political to cute and jokey.

Opens 7 pm, October 16, and runs until November 30, every day except Friday from 11 am to 8 pm. Mashrabia Gallery, 8 Champollion Street, downtown Cairo. Free. See event details here.

Maurizio Abate and Dwarves of East Agouza — Wednesday

Downtown Cairo club Zigzag continues its new live music nights series with the clever pairing of sometimes eerily psychedelic and sometimes whimsically bluesy self-taught guitarist Maurizio Abate with charismatically experimental trio Dwarves of East Agouza – Maurice Louca (Alif, Bikya), Sam Shalabi (Land of Kush, Shalabi Effect) and Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, The Invisible Hands, Alvarius B.).

6 Qasr al Nil-Street, downtown Cairo. Entrance LE50. See event details and door policy here.

Cairo Jazz Festival and Beyond the Stage — starts Thursday

The eighth Cairo Jazz Festival kicks off three days of live performances on Thursday at downtown Cairo’s Greek Campus. The line-up includes musicians from Germany, Holland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland and Japan, as well as Egyptian acts, such as guitar virtuoso Ousso Lotfy’s collaborative project HOH, with Hany Adel and Hany al-Dakkak. Thursday sees Bahraini folk rock collaborators Ala Ghawas and Likwid, Cape Verdean-Portuguese jazz singer Carmen Souza, and Lebanese singer Tania Saleh play the main stage, while eerie northern European guitar, vocal and trumpet trio Rom/Schaerer/Eberle play the “Library Stage.” See the full program here.

Also starting Thursday, Cairo Jazz Club host the festival’s four-day "Beyond the Stage" showcase, with musicians performing in its more intimate venue. Thursday sees dreamy Czech folk cellist and vocalist duo Tara Fuki, Japanese bebop saxophonist Saori Yano, and Egypt’s CJC regulars the Big Band Society. See the full program here.

20-22 October, the GrEEK Campus (tickets start at LE100) and Cairo Jazz Club (LE50 entrance, reservation necessary).

The Date Palm Festival — Saturday

Now in its fourth year, the annual event celebrating date palm and the people working in the industry and headed by Slow Food Cairo has become a calendar highlight. It's a family-friendly day of tasting, cooking lessons, meeting local producers, talks, games, rope making, palm-tree climbing and music at the Fagnoon Art School. There’s a pretty expensive four-course gourmet lunch priced at LE260 (includes lunch, admission, one activity and date tasting – reserve here), but if you can’t splash out to that extent, there are plenty of other things to do and eat.

Entrance (includes admission and activities) LE80 (Slow Food members LE60). See event details here. Fagnoon Art School, Om Hashem, Saqqara, Giza.