I wanted to share some important information with you about the schedule for the Sound & Light show at the Giza pyramids over the next two months.

First, a little background… This year the holy month of Ramadan will start approximately September 13th and end approximately October 12th (- the exact dates are dictated by the sighting of the new moon). It is immediately followed by a 3-day feast, or national holiday, called Eid il-Fitr. During Ramadan and the Eid all tourist sites traditionally close early (it varies from site to site but most will close between 2pm and 3pm) in order to give people enough time to get home and prepare to break the fast at dusk. The Sound & Light show schedule is also affected, with most shows starting an hour later than normal during Ramadan and the Eid.

FYI there are two schedules for the S&L show - summer and winter - and there are three shows per night in different languages (see the link below for the official schedule). During the summer the shows are at 8.30pm, 9.30pm and 10.30pm, while in winter (after Daylight Savings Time ends and the clocks go back on hour) the shows are at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm. This year is a little complicated since Daylight Savings Time is due to end at midnight on 27th/28th September, i.e. half way though Ramadan.

In order to make life easier for the fasting population, the government recently announced that they will end Daylight Savings Time prior to the start of Ramadan, on September 6th/7th to be exact. Thankfully, this eliminates the need to change the time of the Sound & Light show twice! After Eid finishes (October 15th or 16th) the shows will revert to the normal winter schedule.

It has also been announced that there will be a big concert at the pyramids on September 7th, staged on the site of the Sound & Light theatre. This means that in order to prepare the area for the concert, there will be no Sound & Light show on September 5th, 6th or 7th. Performances are scheduled to resume as normal on September 8th.

For ease of reference, here is a summary of the Sound & Light show schedule from now until after the Eid:

From now up to and including September 4th: First show at 8.30pm
September 5th, 6th and 7th: No shows
September 8th - 12th (pre-Ramadan): First show at 8.30pm
September 13th (approx.) to October 15th/16th (approx.): First show at 7.30pm
October 16th/17th (approx.): First show at 6.30pm

Obviously the exact date of the resumption of the winter schedule depends upon the final day of Eid, which in turns depends upon the actual start date of Ramadan.

For more information about Ramadan, look here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g2942...ober-Cairo.html

For more information about the Sound & Light show (buying tickets, best seating, etc.) look here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g2942...Show-Cairo.html

For the official Sound & Light web site, look here: http://www.egyptsandl.com/shows.asp?show=1

For more information about the concert on September 7th, look here: http://www.wikicover.com/Chantal_Chamandy

Karen

UPDATE: Further to my previous post, as is often the case in Egypt, plans, rules and schedules can and do change at the eleventh hour!

I have just been notified by the management company for the Sound & Light show that they have had a change of heart about the show schedule. Whereas in the period between the upcoming concert on the September 7th and the beginning of Ramadan (probably Sept. 13th) they had previously said that the first show would be at 8.30pm, they have now changed that to 6.30pm. They have also decided that during Eid they will adopt the winter schedule instead of the Ramadan schedule. Confused yet? You should be!

To summarize:

Sept. 6th and 7th: No shows
Sept. 8th - 12th (pre-Ramadan): First show at 6.30pm
Sept. 13th - October 12th (approx. = Ramadan): First show at 7.30pm
Starting Oct. 13th or 14th (Eid & post-Eid winter schedule): First show at 6.30pm

This is the current schedule to the best of my knowledge, but please bear in mind that this could change without notice. One of the first things I learned after moving to Egypt was to expect the unexpected... that, together with a good sense of humour and infinite patience enables one to cope with the ups and downs and otherwise maddening inconsistencies that are an integral part of daily life in Egypt! :-)

If I receive notification about any further changes I will post them here. For anyone planning on trying to see the show during the tricky transition period between Ramadan and Eid, i.e. around October 12th to 15th (the dates are not yet firm), I suggest you call ahead to confirm the exact time of the show you want. The telephone number is: 02 (if calling from outside Cairo) 3385-2880.

Good luck, and enjoy the show!