Indie Sound Festival to Launch in Cairo With Regional Lineup Dec 19th

Mazra’a Network for Arts and Culture is gearing up to launch the first iteration of their Indie Sound Festival at the historic Royal Club Mohamed Aly in Cairo on December 19th. 

Mazra’a Network, a Cairo-based social enterprise, operates at the intersection of artistic expression and communal engagement. Over the past five years, the organisation has cultivated creative initiatives that serve both artists and the public, with subsidiaries focusing on cultural entertainment and engagement through a grassroots approach.

With Indie Sound Fest, Mazra’a aims to celebrate the voices that have been shaping the sound of the alternative scene in the region, while simultaneously fostering a space in the Egyptian capital that makes live music experiences more accessible and helps artists connect with a broader audience. The festival is launched under Fabric of Society, a multidisciplinary entity under the umbrella of Mazra’a Network that aims to challenge the various barriers artists face in today’s world by providing a space for artists and creatives to share knowledge, connect and collaborate.

Drawing on the concept of the festival, Mazra’a launched an online campaign under the name ‘Indie Sounds’, highlighting various independent entities and practitioners that shape Cairo’s creative scene. “We cannot be sustainable in a vacuum. Operating independently doesn’t mean you operate alone; the Cairo cultural field is often interconnected. We dedicate this movement to the people who inspire, sustain, and drive the creative ecosystem,” Youssef Mansour, founder of Mazra’a Network for Arts and Culture, tells SceneNoise.

The day-to-night festival is bringing together six rising and established regional acts, including Maii Waleed, a key figure in shaping the sound of the alternative scene in Egypt; Jordanian alt-pop star Zaid Khaled; Toronto-based Lebanese-Syrian band Kazdoura; Egyptian folk singer-songwriter Luka Salam; Cairo’s budding singer Zein Al-Arfeen; and Syrian-Egyptian artist Mira Bahgat with her mix of neo-soul, R&B, and jazz. 

The festival runs from 2 PM to 10 PM, featuring local food vendors and a marketplace of vintage finds, crafts, and art. Tickets are available on Mazra’a Network’s official website, with a 10% discount for musicians, artists, and students.