Arab Music Festival Hit by Withdrawals; Ali El-Haggar Returns

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Egypt's 34th Arab Music Festival and Conference, which runs from October 20 to 30, 2026, has been hit by a wave of artist withdrawals. But veteran singer Ali El-Haggar has reversed his decision to pull out. According to Tahia Masr, he will now perform at the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House on Saturday, October 24, and at the closing concert on Thursday, October 29, at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria. Why El-Haggar pulled out The row began at the festival's press conference, where Cairo Opera House chairman Dr Reda El-Wakil spoke about the festival's limited budget compared with other events in the region and linked the absence of some big names to that. Hours later, El-Haggar announced on Facebook that he would not take part. Tahia Masr reports that he said the issue was not his own fee but the budget for the musicians in his band, which he called weak and insulting to professional players. He also objected to El-Wakil's remarks at the press conference. Tahia Masr describes it as the first time he had withdrawn since the festival was founded, after about 30 years of taking part. The U-turn A few days later, the Opera House responded to the musicians' demands. El-Haggar then posted on Facebook that he would be with his audience at the festival, thanking the Egyptian Opera House and El-Wakil for the response. His return ended a dispute that had dominated Egyptian entertainment coverage for several days. Who else withdrew El-Haggar was not alone. Singer Mohamed Tharwat also announced he would not take part, saying he would not accept participating in any context that could be understood as insulting Egyptian art or Egyptian artists, according to Tahia Masr. Misr Connect and Al-Masry Al-Youm list further withdrawals and the reasons given: Marwa Nagy: her October 21 slot clashed with travel to Oman, and a Baligh Hamdy programme was not agreed. Walaa El-Gendy: her date was moved from October 21 to 26. Assi El-Hallani, who had been due to perform on October 22. Ahmed Gamal, who objected to his participation being described as a "courtesy" because festival director Mohamed El Mougy is his father-in-law. Rami Sabry, who withdrew hours after joining, after seeing the Opera chairman's video. Mohamed Mohsen (personal reasons), Gannat, Bahaa Sultan (no agreement reached), Ahmed Saad (commitments and contract timing) and Reham Abdel Hakim. Reports differ on Amal Maher: Tahia Masr lists her among the confirmed performers, while other outlets included her in early lists of absentees. The festival's response Festival director Mohamed El Mougy confirmed some of the withdrawals. The organisers say the 34th edition will go ahead on schedule with about 70 artists, including Medhat Saleh, Mohamed El-Helou and Ghada Ragab, according to Tahia Masr. They also stress that the event is not only a series of concerts: it includes an academic conference on the issues facing Arab music. Why it matters The Arab Music Festival is one of the region's longest-running music events, held at the Cairo Opera House with concerts in Alexandria. A row over budgets and the treatment of musicians goes to the heart of how public cultural institutions pay the artists who fill their halls. El-Haggar's argument, that the band deserves fair pay as much as the star, struck a chord with many musicians. Explore more on our world music and pop pages. Egypt's autumn calendar also includes the El Gouna and Cairo film festivals, covered in our film section. Key facts Festival: 34th Arab Music Festival and Conference, October 20–30, 2026 El-Haggar's concerts: October 24, Cairo Opera House Main Hall; October 29, closing concert at the Sayed Darwish Theatre, Alexandria Reason for his withdrawal: the budget for his band's musicians Organisers' line-up: about 70 artists What's next The festival opens on October 20. Ali El-Haggar sings at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall on October 24 and closes the festival at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria on October 29. Further changes to the line-up remain possible before opening night, and fans will watch for the final programme from the Opera House. Sources: Tahia Masr | Al-Masry Al-Youm | Misr Connect