Last verified: October 26, 2026. The moon-based dates are projections until Egypt’s religious authority sights the moon, and the government moves several holidays by decree only days ahead. Each date below says how sure it is. I re-check this page monthly.
Egypt festivals that follow the moon arrive about 11 days earlier in 2027 than in 2026, and that includes Ramadan and both Eids. Ramadan began on February 19 in 2026. In 2027 it’s expected from February 8. A calendar from last year is now wrong by more than a week.
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Holiday websites list bare dates that disagree by a day. Travel pages list festivals with no year at all. Neither tells you what actually closes. So I built my own calendar of Egypt festivals and holidays: 27 dates, each with a status and what it changes for a traveler. For the customs behind the dates, see my guide to Egyptian culture.
Key Takeaways
- Two pressure points. Ramadan (expected from Feb 8) overlaps the Sun Festival on Feb 22, and May packs two holiday blocks into three weeks.
- Eid al-Adha is expected about May 16. In 2026 its paid holiday ran six days.
- Tourist sites stay open on holidays. Only Ramadan trims hours.
- Most civil holidays move to a Thursday, announced days ahead.
Table of Contents
What Are the Main Festivals and Holidays in Egypt in 2027?
From November 2026 to November 2027, 27 dates matter to a traveler. Ramadan and the two Eids follow the moon, and the Coptic feasts follow the church calendar. The civil holidays are fixed by law but often shift to a Thursday. The rest are cultural festivals that announce their own dates, from the Cairo film festival to the Luxor marathon.
I give every row one of four labels. Confirmed means fixed by law or by the Coptic Orthodox calendar for 2027. Announced means the organiser has published the dates. Projected means an astronomical or “probable” date. Usual means no 2027 date is out yet, so I give the month.
| Date | Event | Status | What it changes for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11 to 20, 2026 | 47th Cairo International Film Festival | Announced | Screenings usually centred on the Opera House; Zamalek busier |
| Jan 7 (Thu) | Coptic Christmas (eve mass Jan 6) | Confirmed | National holiday; banks shut; church security |
| Early January | Egyptian Marathon, Luxor West Bank | Usual | Listed for Jan 8; race starts at Hatshepsut’s temple |
| Jan 20 to Feb 2 | 58th Cairo International Book Fair | Announced | Usually New Cairo; heavy traffic, worst at weekends |
| About Jan 21 | Moulid of Abu al-Haggag, Luxor | Projected | Night crowds beside Luxor Temple |
| Jan 25 (Mon) | Revolution and Police Day | Confirmed | Day off likely moved to Thu Jan 28 |
| From about Feb 8 | Ramadan | Projected | Some site hours shorter; many local cafes shut until iftar |
| Feb 22 | Abu Simbel Sun Festival | Confirmed | Dawn crowds; festival-day price not yet on sale |
| Mar 8 to May 1 | Coptic Great Lent | Confirmed | Monastery visits may be limited |
| About Mar 10 | Eid al-Fitr | Projected | Holiday about Mar 9 to 11; trains and flights full |
| Mar 28 to Apr 3 | 16th Luxor African Film Festival | Announced | Screenings in Luxor |
| Apr 25 (Sun) | Sinai Liberation Day | Confirmed | Day off likely moved to Thu Apr 29 |
| May 1 (Sat) | Labour Day | Confirmed | Start of a three-day weekend |
| May 2 (Sun) | Coptic Easter | Confirmed | Church crowds and security |
| May 3 (Mon) | Sham el-Nessim | Confirmed | Parks, the Corniche and Nile boats packed |
| About May 15 to 19 | Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha | Projected | Longest holiday; Red Sea rooms fill |
| About Jun 6 (Sun) | Islamic New Year | Projected | Day off likely moved to Thu Jun 10 |
| Jun 30 (Wed) | June 30 Revolution | Confirmed | Day off likely moved to Thu Jul 1 |
| Jul 23 (Fri) | Revolution Day | Confirmed | Falls on the weekend |
| About Aug 14 (Sat) | Prophet’s Birthday | Projected | Sugar-doll stalls; crowds around Al-Hussein |
| Sep 12 (Sun) | Nayrouz, Coptic New Year | Confirmed | Church feast; nothing closes |
| Oct 6 (Wed) | Armed Forces Day | Confirmed | Day off likely moved to Thu Oct 7 |
| Mid-October | El Gouna Film Festival | Usual | Red Sea rooms in El Gouna book up |
| October full moon | Siyaha festival, Siwa | Usual | Three days at Dakrur mountain |
| October | Moulid of Sayyid al-Badawi, Tanta | Usual | Week-long; huge crowds |
| Oct 22 | Abu Simbel Sun Festival | Confirmed | Dawn crowds; festival-day price not yet on sale |
| November | 48th Cairo International Film Festival | Usual | Opera House area busier; Zamalek rooms fill |
The civil and Islamic dates come from Office Holidays’ 2027 list, and the Ramadan start from Egypt’s astronomy institute. The rest come from each organiser, and every date sits in my ledger with the day I read it.
Here’s the short version. Egypt festivals and holidays in 2027 produce five red weeks: the Sun Festival inside Ramadan in late February, Eid al-Fitr about March 10, the Easter weekend from May 1 to 3, Eid al-Adha about May 16, and the October Sun Festival. Book transport and rooms early for those five, and plan freely around the rest.
Which Dates Are Fixed and Which Are Still Moving?
The Coptic, civil and Sun Festival dates are fixed. Ramadan, both Eids, the Islamic New Year and the Prophet’s Birthday stay projections until the moon is sighted. Egypt’s astronomy institute (NRIAG) projects Ramadan 2027 from Monday, February 8 and Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday, March 10 (Elwatan News, September 10, 2026). Either can shift by a day.
The institute calculates, but Dar al-Ifta decides. Egypt’s religious authority holds a moon-sighting session on the evening of the 29th of the month before, then announces the start that night. In 2026, Dar al-Ifta set the first day of Ramadan on Thursday, February 19 (CairoScene, February 2026).
The drift is the trap. The Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than ours, so every moon-based holiday lands about 11 days earlier each year. If you’re reusing a 2026 article, subtract 11 days, then check the date again in the week before you fly.
For what Ramadan changes day to day, from iftar etiquette to restaurant hours, see what changes during Ramadan.
Why Do Egyptian Holidays Move to Thursday?
Since July 2020, Egypt has moved most national holidays to a Thursday, giving a three-day weekend with Friday and Saturday (Cairo Governorate, citing Ahram Online, 2020). The Prime Minister issues each decree only days before. Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Coptic Christmas never move.
The 2026 decrees show the pattern. Sunday, January 25 became Thursday, January 29 (Cairo Governorate, January 2026). The Islamic New Year became Thursday, June 18 (Ahram Online, June 2026). The June 30 holiday, a Tuesday, became Thursday, July 2 (Cairo Governorate, June 24, 2026), and the Prophet’s Birthday moved from Tuesday, August 25 to Thursday, August 27 (Egypt Today, August 2026).
Only holidays that land on the Friday and Saturday weekend stayed put: Sinai Liberation Day fell on a Saturday in 2026 and kept its date. Here’s how that pattern lands on 2027:
| Holiday | Legal date, 2027 | Likely day off |
|---|---|---|
| Revolution and Police Day | Mon Jan 25 | Thu Jan 28 |
| Sinai Liberation Day | Sun Apr 25 | Thu Apr 29 |
| Islamic New Year | About Sun Jun 6 | Thu Jun 10 |
| June 30 Revolution | Wed Jun 30 | Thu Jul 1 |
| Revolution Day | Fri Jul 23 | Stays (weekend) |
| Prophet’s Birthday | About Sat Aug 14 | Stays (weekend) |
| Armed Forces Day | Wed Oct 6 | Thu Oct 7 |
Treat the right-hand column as likely, not decided. Tourist sites open either way. Banks, government offices and the passport and residency desks close on the day off, not the legal date. That’s the day your currency exchange or visa extension won’t happen.
Do Tourist Sites Close on Egyptian Holidays?
Mostly no. In my reading of the official booking site, antiquities sites list one set of hours for winter and summer, plus a Ramadan set, and nothing separate for public holidays (egymonuments.com, Giza, read October 18, 2026). Ramadan is the only stretch that shortens the day, by up to two hours at some museums.
I logged the Ramadan hours for 22 sites. The three biggest changes for a Cairo trip:
- Giza pyramids: gates at 8am instead of 7am, last entry 3:30pm instead of 4pm.
- Egyptian Museum, Tahrir: last entry 3pm instead of 4pm (egymonuments.com).
- Coptic Museum: last entry 2pm instead of 4pm (egymonuments.com).
Most of the Nile Valley doesn’t change. Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple and Abu Simbel keep their winter hours through Ramadan (egymonuments.com, Abu Simbel). The Grand Egyptian Museum sells through its own system, so check its hours there. For the Giza schedule in full, see Giza’s gate hours and tickets.
What does close on a public holiday? Banks, post offices, government offices and many private businesses. Pharmacies, restaurants and hotels stay open. On Eid mornings, prayer crowds spill out of the mosques, so expect slow traffic early in the day.
Which Egypt Festivals Are Worth Planning a Trip Around?
Three Egypt festivals justify moving your dates: the Sun Festival at Abu Simbel, Coptic Christmas or Easter in Old Cairo, and the Cairo International Film Festival. The book fair, the Luxor events and the moulids reward travelers who are already nearby and don’t mind crowds.
The Sun Festival at Abu Simbel
Twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, the rising sun reaches the sanctuary of the Great Temple and lights the statues inside. The October 22, 2026 alignment drew about 7,000 visitors, according to the Aswan governor (Ahram Online, October 22, 2026). The 2027 dates are a Monday and a Friday. Arrive before dawn, expect a queue, and plan on the earliest convoy or flight from Aswan. For the logistics, read getting to Abu Simbel for the dawn alignment.
The price is the open question. On October 26, 2026, the official checkout charged 822 EGP for a foreign adult, but its calendar ran only to December 30, 2026 (egymonuments.com checkout). February 22 isn’t on sale yet. Unofficial price lists put alignment-day tickets higher, and I’ll print the official figure once the date opens.
Coptic Christmas and Easter
Coptic Christmas falls on January 7, with the main mass on the night of January 6. Coptic Easter falls on May 2, 2027. Both fill the churches with families and bring extra police to the gates. If you want the quarter at its fullest, spend Old Cairo at Christmas on the morning after the night mass.
The Cairo International Film Festival
The 47th edition runs from November 11 to 20, 2026, with 145 films from 64 countries (Ahram Online, October 2026). It’s also the festival’s 50th anniversary. In 2024, screenings ran at the Cairo Opera House in Zamalek and at cinemas across the city (Enterprise, November 2024). If you’re going, base yourself in Zamalek and walk to the screenings; I compare the island with Downtown in where to stay in Cairo.
The Book Fair and the Luxor Film Festival
The 58th Cairo International Book Fair runs from January 20 to February 2, 2027, with Qatar as guest of honour (QNA, October 18, 2026). Egypt’s culture minister put the 2026 fair’s attendance at about 6.2 million, at the exhibition center in New Cairo (Brittle Paper, citing the State Information Service, March 2026). That’s a crowd to join on a weekday, never a Friday.
Further south, the 16th Luxor African Film Festival runs from March 28 to April 3, 2027 (Luxor African Film Festival). The Egyptian Marathon, which starts at Hatshepsut’s temple, is listed for January 8 on its registration page (Hopasports), though the organiser’s own site hadn’t posted it when I checked on October 26.
The Moulids
Moulids are the most local Egypt festivals. A moulid is a saint’s festival: a few nights of Sufi chanting, stalls, swings and crowds around a shrine. Luxor’s Moulid of Abu al-Haggag centres on the mosque inside Luxor Temple. In 2026 its main night was the 13th of Sha’ban, February 1 (Al-Bawaba News). That puts the 2027 night about January 21, a date I’ve projected from the Hijri calendar.
The biggest is in Tanta, in the Delta. Egyptian Streets put attendance at the week-long Moulid of Sayyid al-Badawi at about two million in 2025 (Egyptian Streets, November 5, 2025). It’s usually held in October. Dress conservatively, keep your bag in front, and go with someone who knows the town.
Siwa has its own: three days under the October full moon at Dakrur mountain. I cover it in the Siyaha festival section of my Siwa guide. And El Gouna’s film festival, which ran from October 15 to 23 in 2026 (Ahram Online), fills that resort’s rooms each mid-October.
February 2027: Ramadan Meets the Sun Festival
Three events land within three weeks. The Book Fair closes on February 2, Ramadan is expected from February 8 (Elwatan News), and the Sun Festival on February 22 falls in the middle of it. February 22 is also the first day of the Coptic Jonah’s fast (copticchurch.net).
The Sun Festival in Ramadan is the one to think through. Abu Simbel’s hours don’t change in Ramadan, so the dawn alignment works as usual. What changes is the day around it. Your driver may be fasting, the roadside cafes on the desert road may not serve until sunset, and Aswan’s restaurants fill at iftar. Pack breakfast and water, and book dinner for after sunset.
Late February is also peak season for foreign visitors, so Aswan’s hotels and the Abu Simbel flights fill from both sides. If you want February 22, book the room and the transfer now. For the rest of the month, Ramadan is a good time to visit, with the details in my Ramadan guide.
Why Is May 2027 the Busiest Holiday Month?
May holds 7 of Egypt’s 18 listed national holiday days in 2027, counting Coptic Easter Sunday, more than any other month (Office Holidays). Labour Day, Coptic Easter and Sham el-Nessim make a three-day weekend from May 1 to 3. Arafat Day and Eid al-Adha follow from about May 15 to 19.
The Eid can run longer than the calendar shows. In 2026 the Prime Minister made May 26 to 31 a paid holiday for Eid al-Adha, six days including the weekend (Cairo Governorate, May 19, 2026). Expect a similar announcement about a week before Eid in 2027.
Egyptian families head for the sea. During Eid al-Adha in July 2021, about 60 percent of Hurghada’s hotel occupancy was domestic, and one Sahl Hasheesh resort charged 30 to 40 percent more than on normal days (Egypt Independent, July 25, 2021). That’s an older pattern, not a 2027 forecast, but it explains why Red Sea rates jump that week. If you’re heading to the coast that week, my Red Sea stay guide compares the towns and their rates.
Sham el-Nessim on May 3 is the other crowd. Muslims and Christians picnic in parks, on the Corniche and on Nile boats, and the public gardens fill early. My culture guide explains the salted fish and coloured eggs. For sightseeing, May 3 is a good day for a temple and a bad day for a felucca.
Planning Around Egypt’s Holidays
Around Egypt festivals and holidays, book transport, not sights. In March 2025, Egyptian National Railways added extra Eid trains, including a Talgo service from Cairo to Aswan (CairoScene, March 2025). Tickets can still sell out in the days before an Eid (CairoScene). Sites stay open, so the risk is getting between cities, not getting in.
Four rules cover most trips:
- Book trains and domestic flights two to three weeks ahead of both Eids and the May 1 to 3 weekend. Read booking trains ahead of a holiday for the routes that fill first.
- Check the Thursday decree the week before. If your bank, visa or SIM errand falls on a holiday week, do it early.
- Draw cash before a long weekend. Machines in small towns can run low when banks are closed for three or more days.
- Stay put on Eid itself and enjoy it. Streets are festive, families are out, and the sites you’ve already booked are open.
Which month suits your trip best overall? That’s a weather and price question as much as a calendar one, and the best month for your trip weighs all three.
Egypt Festivals: FAQs
What are the main festivals in Egypt?
The biggest Egypt festivals are Ramadan and the two Eids, Coptic Christmas (January 7) and Easter (May 2, 2027), Sham el-Nessim, and the Abu Simbel Sun Festival on February 22 and October 22. Add the moulids, or saints’ festivals, plus Cairo’s film festival and book fair. From November 2026 to November 2027, I count 27 dates that change something for a traveler.
When is Eid al-Adha in Egypt in 2027?
About Sunday, May 16, 2027, with Arafat Day on May 15. Office Holidays lists Arafat Day and May 16 to 18 off, plus May 19 for the public sector, and the 2026 decree ran six days. The date depends on the moon sighting. Check the Prime Minister’s decree about a week before.
Are tourist sites open on public holidays in Egypt?
Yes. The official booking site lists winter, summer and Ramadan hours, with nothing separate for public holidays. Only Ramadan shortens the day: on egymonuments.com, Giza opens at 8am instead of 7am, and the Coptic Museum’s last entry moves from 4pm to 2pm. Banks and government offices are what close.
Why do Egyptian holidays move to Thursday?
Since July 2020, the Prime Minister has moved most national holidays to a Thursday to make a three-day weekend, by decree only days before. The two Eids and Coptic Christmas never move, and Friday or Saturday holidays stay put. In 2026, Sunday, January 25 became Thursday, January 29.
When is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival in 2027?
On Monday, February 22 and Friday, October 22, 2027, at sunrise. The October 2026 alignment drew about 7,000 visitors, per the Aswan governor. On October 26, 2026 the official egymonuments.com checkout charged 822 EGP for a foreign adult but sold dates only to December 30, so the February festival-day price isn’t published yet.
Is it a good idea to travel to Egypt during Eid?
Yes, if you stay in one place for the holiday itself. Streets are festive and sites stay open. The hard part is moving: trains, domestic flights and Red Sea hotels fill with Egyptian families. In July 2021, domestic guests made up about 60 percent of Hurghada’s Eid occupancy, according to Egypt Independent. Book transport two to three weeks ahead.
The Bottom Line
For Egypt festivals in 2027, the news is mostly good for sightseers. The sites stay open, and only a handful of weeks need planning.
- Moon dates are projections. Ramadan from about February 8, Eid al-Fitr about March 10, Eid al-Adha about May 16.
- Civil holidays usually move to Thursday unless they fall on Friday or Saturday.
- February and May are the pressure points. February puts the Sun Festival inside Ramadan, and May has two holiday blocks.
- Book transport, not sights, for each Eid and the May 1 to 3 weekend.
Pick your month with the best time to visit Egypt, read what changes during Ramadan if your dates cross February, and plan the dawn at Abu Simbel if you’re chasing the sun.
