Cairo Design Week 2026: dates, districts, tickets and tours

Cairo Design Week 2026 runs from 19 to 28 November across three districts: Downtown, Heliopolis and Zamalek. A pass for the whole week costs EGP 650, or EGP 550 for students, and a pass for a single district costs EGP 350, or EGP 300 for students. Passes are sold through the festival's own ticket page on TicketsMarche, which the official website links to. The organiser announces the programme and the districts map on its website and social media, so check them before you set out.

Dates

The organiser's questions page gives the 2026 dates as 19 to 28 November 2026, with each district opening on its own day: Downtown on 19 November, Heliopolis on 20 November and Zamalek on 21 November.

The ticket page and the organiser's 2026 district pages start one day later in each district: Downtown from 20 November, Heliopolis from 21 November and Zamalek from 22 November, all running until 28 November. The organiser has not explained the difference. If you plan to go on the first day of a district, check the official website or the festival's Instagram account, @cairo.design.week, before you go.

Tickets and prices

The official ticket page lists two kinds of pass. All Week Access covers all three districts from 20 to 28 November: the Regular Pass costs EGP 650 and the Student Pass EGP 550. There is also one pass per district, at EGP 350 for the Regular Pass and EGP 300 for the Student Pass: the Downtown District pass (20 to 28 November), the Heliopolis District pass (21 to 28 November) and the Zamalek District pass (22 to 28 November).

The ticket page does not say what proof a student needs, whether children pay, or whether passes are also sold at the venues. To book: 1. open the Cairo Design Week page on TicketsMarche from the official website, 2. choose All Week Access or a district, 3. pick Regular or Student, 4. pay online.

The three districts

Downtown hosts the festival for the third year in a row. The organiser describes its Belle Epoque buildings as the setting, and its 2026 district page lists stops including the Tamara Building, Kodak Court, the Cafe Riche Building, Villa Bab El Louq and the Italian Consulate.

Heliopolis is where Cairo Design Week began, in 2022, and the organiser calls it the flagship district. It reopens heritage villas and courtyards, with stops such as Villa Magenta, Heliopolis HQ, El Cayan Court and Ghurnata Community Space.

Zamalek first took part as a smaller "pocket" in 2024 and is now a full district, with installations and talks in its streets, galleries and gardens. Its stops include the Islamic Ceramics Museum, Aisha Fahmy Palace, the Greater Cairo Library and Cairo Tower.

Opening times are set venue by venue on each district page, so check the stop you want before you go.

Guided tours

The ticket page lists guided tours from 21 to 28 November 2026. Heliopolis: 21 November from 1pm to 6pm, and 24 and 26 November from 5pm to 10pm. Zamalek: 22 and 25 November from 5pm to 10pm, and 27 November from 1pm to 6pm. Downtown: 23 November from 1pm to 6pm, 25 November from 5pm to 10pm and 28 November from 1pm to 6pm. The page does not publish a price or a length for the tours.

Getting around

The organiser says most venues in each district are a short walk apart, so you can see the exhibitions while walking the streets, and that moving between districts takes a short car ride. A district pass suits one afternoon in one area; the week pass suits anyone who wants all three.

What to expect

Cairo Design Week shows exhibitions, installations, brand experiences, design talks and one-off collaborations by established and new designers, across fashion, architecture, interiors and products. It is open to everyone, from professionals and students to anyone curious about design, and international visitors are welcome. The festival is organised by Creative Districts, an agency that makes cultural events and destinations.

Common questions

Can I still take part as a designer? No: the organiser says its "Be Part" applications closed on 15 October 2026.

Where is the map? The organiser says the programme and the districts map are published on its website and social media as each district is ready.

Do prices change? The prices above are those on the ticket page in November 2026 and can change, so check the page when you book.