We know you're out there, Halloweeners–we can see the feathers in your hair, the crazy white make-up and the ABBA outfits in your closets. You can come out from wherever you’re hiding now, pull on these outrageous outfits and enjoy the night in which all the demons are let loose. Halloween is almost here.
Halloween in Egypt, however, can be a tricky thing. Outfits are hard to find, costume sellers are almost non-existent and the party scene is extremely exclusive. Together, though, we can create a Halloween night that we shall not forget.
Outfits and Outlets:
Firstly, the easiest way to enjoy a new Halloween outfit in Cairo is to simply create it yourself. Options are endless when you’re creative. Some of your old clothes can be played around with to create one of the famous movie/TV characters you like, and–with the right attitude–you can pull that off easily.
Another option would be to go around Downtown Cairo in the cheap shops there and look for a funky shirt, some baggy jeans, and–with the right sunglasses–you’re off to create a great 70s character. A friend of mine is shopping for some hipster items there, and it seems that they are easily found.
Leather items, like jackets and boots, are easy to find in Cairo Downtown shops, especially in the Talaat Harb Mall and the area around it–so if you are thinking of being the Guest Rider, maybe this is your chance.
For the ladies, goth-chicks are easily imitated in Cairo. You can find some make-up and black nail-polish that suits the character, and you'll be ready to look underfed and over-suicidal in a second.
For extremely cheap Halloween items, you can pass by a nameless shop on Qasr al-Aini street, where you'll find wigs, fake make-up items, vampire teeth and plastic noses. The shop, located two stores next to the Etisalat shop on Qasr al-Aini Street, looks like a hole in the wall, but the deeper you go through the unorganized items, the more Halloween treasures you might find.
It’s going to be hard, however, to find the usual classical outfits in Cairo, like witch hats, devils’ horns and Superman getups, but who wants to be classical on a crazy night like Halloween? Your chances of finding Halloween costumes for children, however, are much higher than finding adult-fitting costumes.
Outings:
Halloween parties are rarely rated by the venue, although it’s an important element in planning your evening. These parties are usually planned around the people attending. You should know that some parties can be amazing because the people in them are outgoing and open for partying, while other parties might fall under the radar because attendees are reserved and aware of the mockery of the whole idea of Halloween.
So, make sure you bring a lot of your friends with you, and booze never fails to bring people out of their shell.
Most Halloween parties in Cairo are extremely exclusive, with limited guests list and scary price-tags. The annual Swiss Club Halloween celebration, however, which takes place on 28 October (Thursday), is considered the chilliest party around. The venue offers a Halloween party with an LE50 ticket and a free beer, which is extremely cheap by Cairo standards.
The Swiss Club has a small dancing floor with a couple of DJs and two small gardens to allow you to get some air after heavy dancing. (Address: 9 Villa Pax, al-Gihad Street, Off Sudan Street in KitKat; Tel: 02-33142811/ 010-3009695)
If you are a big fan of Johnny Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a party called “Pirates of the Nile” is taking place on 29 October at the Nile Holding Deck and Boat in Garden City, opposite the Four Season Hotel. The party’s admission is LE75, which includes one shot and one beer. I’ve never been to the Nile Holding Deck myself, but if you decide to try your luck, you’re going to get a free eye patch at the door.
Sexy Halloween is always a fun theme, but this Sexy Halloween party is the most exclusive one around town. The Temple is holding on 29 October what the organizers describe as “a very scary and very sexy” party with “international standards of entertainment and, of course, lots of booze.” Dress up, by definition, is a must. Tickets to this party are ready to pick up at the reservation office at the Pharos Boat (138 Nile St., Giza).
Scary Halloween and Sexy Halloween, however, don’t hold a candle to Funny Halloween, which is what you would get if you attended the 29 October Halloween Party with Ahmed Harfoush. Harfoush is the premier jazz vocalist and entertainer in Egypt and the leader of Cairo’s renowned jazz ensemble, The Riff Band. He is going to sing all night long while you show up to Pub 55 on Road 9 in Maadi with your funniest costume idea.
Finally, a number of private parties are taking place around town, including the Kazam private party, which is a replica of last year’s successful bash, replete with heated swimming pool, open bar and grill. You need, however, to have contacts with the organizers of this exclusive party to get more details about it.
