The 26th Ismailia International Folk Arts Festival has brought together 15 folk ensembles from Egypt and abroad, Egypt’s Ministry of Culture has announced. The festival opened with a street parade and an official ceremony at Ismailia Culture Palace on Sunday 11 October. Performances run across the city until a closing night on Friday 16 October.
Eight of the troupes are from abroad, representing Russia, Romania, Lebanon, Tanzania, Sudan, Algeria, Jordan and Indonesia. The seven Egyptian groups are all affiliated with the General Authority for Cultural Palaces: the Ismailia Folk Arts Troupe, the Malawi Folk Arts Troupe, Alexandria’s Al-Horreya Folk Arts Troupe, and troupes from Arish, Kafr El-Sheikh and Aswan, along with the Ismailia Children’s Troupe. The Egyptian groups come from cities stretching from the Mediterranean coast to Upper Egypt. The festival began at 5pm on Saturday with a parade of all the ensembles, which set off from the former Ismailia Governorate building on Mohamed Ali Street. The official opening ceremony at 8pm on Sunday honoured several figures who have contributed to Egypt’s artistic and cultural life. From 12 to 15 October, troupes perform at venues across Ismailia, including Sheikh Zayed Park, the Family Club, Denfah Club, the Engineers Syndicate and the Culture Palace, with further shows in Fayed, Qantara West and Qassaseen. An exhibition of environmental crafts runs alongside the performances.
This year’s line-up is smaller than in recent editions. The 25th festival, held from 24 to 30 October 2025, featured 25 troupes from Egypt, Africa, the Arab world and Europe, including groups from Guinea, Jordan, Palestine, Poland, Algeria, Uzbekistan, Romania and India, and also hosted seminars on folk arts in a globalised context. The 24th edition in October 2024 hosted 22 troupes, among them 12 Egyptian ensembles from regions including Ismailia, the New Valley, Aswan and Alexandria, as well as groups representing people with special needs.
The festival closes at 8pm on Friday 16 October at Ismailia Culture Palace with a final performance and a ceremony honouring the participating ensembles. Held in the Suez Canal city each year, it remains one of the main public showcases for folk dance and music in Egypt, and its performances in parks, clubs and nearby towns give local audiences access to traditions from across the country and abroad. Jordan and Algeria return after appearing in each of the last three editions.
