Must-See exhibitions and workshops at Cairo Photo Week 2025

Visual storytellers in the region are flocking to Egypt’s capital city this week, as Cairo Photo Week returned with its fourth edition. Organisers, Photopia School of Photography is taking over Downtown Cairo, till 18 May 2025, and will be featuring experts from leading visual media organisations such as National Geographic Society and Getty Images.

With the central theme of ‘Finding the View’, this year's festival promises a bigger and more diverse experience for photographers and visual storytellers of all levels.

While the festival's vibrant energy centres in Downtown Cairo’s iconic Radio Cinema, the experience extends throughout the city, activating key cultural spaces.

Ahmed Abdelahman, a photographer and participant of Cairo Photo Week gives Art in the Middle insight to the exhibition, "Cairo Photo Week is a great way to see artists works, attend informative and educational seminars, and workshops where they teach photography and support emerging talents. I am also extremely happy to participate in this edition and contribute to making the event happen".

Learn and be inspired

Experts will be sharing their expertise across diverse genres such as fashion, food, portraits, documentary, photojournalism, photo editing, cinematography, advertising, fine art, NFTs, and analogue photography.

The educational direction this year thoughtfully considers the evolving landscape of professional practice in the age of AI. It will also explore strategies for navigating current economic realities. Beyond talks and panels, the festival offers invaluable opportunities for hands-on learning through workshops and masterclasses, direct feedback via portfolio reviews, and the chance to connect with fellow creatives during networking events and photo walks.

The public can explore 20 free-access exhibitions showcasing compelling visual narratives and discover new resources at the marketplace and open studios.

This year's event welcomes participants from Egypt, USA, UK, France, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Tunis, Jordan, KSA, Lebanon, and Palestine, fostering an international exchange of ideas.

Who should attend

Cairo Photo Week is an event that caters to anyone passionate about visual storytelling, including photographers of all levels and genres, visual storytellers, researchers, photo editors, retouchers, videographers, filmmakers, art directors, fashion directors, stylists, CGI artists, designers, make-up artists, models, and all image makers.

Participants can also gain feedback on their work through one-on-one portfolio reviews with 12 award-winning professionals in photojournalism, fashion, and commercial photography.

Featured workshops

Here's are some of the remaining featured sessions, you can attend:

Exploring artistic expression and narrative On Writing Art Projects with Ahmed Shawky Hassan Dates: May 16 Learn how to articulate and develop your artistic vision through effective writing for photography projects.

Write a Short Film in 72 Hours with Adam Abd El Ghaffar Dates: May 15 Embark on an intensive journey into short film creation, from concept to (almost) completion.

Mise en Scéne from the Archive: Portrait Photography with Céline Burnand Dates: May 16 and 17 Discover how to draw inspiration from archival materials to create unique and evocative portrait photography.

Capturing Illusions: Unleash your Creative Vision in Photography with Hamada Elrasam Dates: May 15, 16, and 17 Explore techniques to push the boundaries of your imagination and create visually striking and imaginative photographs.

Practical skills and industry insights

Grant Writing with Sana Ullah Dates: May 16 Learn the essential skills for writing successful grant proposals to support your photographic projects.

Master Minimalism: Creative Direction, Photography & Light with Alia Radi Dates: May 16 and 17 Explore the power of minimalism in visual storytelling, focusing on creative direction and the effective use of light.

Photographs in Motion: Photo-based Film with Marouan Omara Dates: 15, 16, and 17 Discover the exciting intersection of photography and film, exploring techniques for creating motion-based narratives from still images.

Introduction to Photo Book Making with Rehab Eldalil Dates: May 16, and 17 Learn the fundamentals of creating a compelling photobook, from concept to design.

Must-see exhibitions across the city

At Cairo Design District, discover ‘A Kind of Magic’, an exhibition by Abdelsalam Moussa and Coucla Refaat's insightful ‘Nile Surfers’, both open until May 16.

Downtown, The Garage presents the impactful ‘Unsettled’ from World Press Photo and Nermine Hammam's thought-provoking ‘Wetiko’, both running until May 28.

Beit Babelouq invites you to explore the narrative power of ‘SARD IV’, Randa Shaath's nostalgic ‘Al-Qahira 90’, and the introspective ‘The Lifespan of a Face’, all concluding on May 18.

The Factory offers a tribute to Yasser Alwan alongside the curated collection of ‘The Music Box’, both accessible until May 18.

At the Cinema Radio Foyer, immerse yourself in ‘Seasons of Us’ and Vincent Van de Wijnaard's exploration of ‘A Sense of Place’, also ending May 18, in addition to the socially conscious ‘Photography About Justice’, which continues until May 28.

Explore further at Ouzounian House with ‘FOOTBALL’, Kodak Passageway with ‘Beyond The Plate’ and ‘MIDAN DIVAZ’, Access Art Space with and El Shourbagy Building featuring ‘Visual Trilogy’ and ‘Grain III’, all open until May 18.

Don't miss ‘Territories of Togetherness’ at L'Instuit Français, Rui Yasue's work at Mashrabia Gallery, ‘Taste of Downtown’ at Tamara Lounge, ‘Through Their Lens: Gaza Untold Stories’ at The Hanger, and Fred Boissonnas' ‘L’Égypte’ at the Goethe-Institut.

Finally, visit AUC Tahrir Square for ‘Between Self and Other’ and The British University in Cairo to see the Cairo Photo Marathon Winners.

The event is offering free public access to all exhibitions, selected talks and panels, the marketplace, and networking events. Affordable passes are also available, granting access to the extensive program of over 90 educational events throughout the 11-day festival at ticketsmarche.com

The full-festival pass costs EGP 450 (AED32) and a single-day pass costs EGP 150 (AED10.93).

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