Before Ali El-Haggar’s Alexandria Finale: Where to Eat & Walk
Ali El-Haggar returns to close an October night in Alexandria
For Alexandria music lovers planning a cultured night out, the headline is now clear: Ali El-Haggar is back on the bill for the 34th Arab Music Festival, and he is set to appear at the festival’s closing concert on Thursday, October 29 at Sayed Darwish Theatre, the Alexandria Opera House. Ahram Online reported the comeback on October 4, 2026, after El-Haggar confirmed that he would perform both in Cairo on October 24 and in Alexandria on October 29. The same report noted that the festival itself is scheduled to run from October 20 to October 30, 2026.
That makes the Alexandria closing night more than just another concert date. It is the kind of evening that suits a full downtown outing: dinner in one of the city centre’s long-running dining rooms, coffee or dessert at a heritage stop in Raml Station, then a slow walk through one of Alexandria’s most atmospheric historic stretches before the curtain goes up.
Why this venue matters
The concert’s setting is part of the draw. According to the Cairo Opera House, the Alexandria Opera House “Sayed Darwish Theatre” was constructed in 1918, opened under the name Mohamed Ali Theatre, and was renamed in 1962 in honour of Sayed Darwish. The theatre was added to Egypt’s Heritage List in 2000 and reopened in 2004 after restoration. For anyone choosing between arriving just before the show and turning it into an evening, the building itself is a reason to come early.
Its wider setting matters too. State Information Service material on Alexandria’s historic streets describes Fouad Street as one of the city’s oldest inhabited arteries, tracing its planning back to the Ptolemaic era as the Canopic Way. The same source notes that the opera house is one of the street’s standout landmarks and dates the current building to 1921 in its architectural description. Taken together, the official record confirms what regulars already know: this is one of the most rewarding pockets of central Alexandria for a pre-show wander.
Where to dine before the concert
1) Délices for a classic Raml Station stop
If you want the most recognisable old-Alexandria pre-theatre address, start with Délices (@delicesgroup on Instagram). The company’s official site says the flagship on 46 Saad Zaghloul Street, Raml Station has been operating since 1922, and that the business remains with the same Greek family. It also states that Délices baked King Farouk’s coronation cake in 1937 and his wedding cake in 1938.
For a concert night, Délices works especially well if your group is split between people who want a proper meal and people who are really there for pastry and coffee. Its own description highlights a Greek-French-Egyptian menu, while the house specialties it foregrounds include pistachio mille-feuille, baklava, kunafa cheesecake and Greek coffee. The practical advantage is timing: the official site says the branch is open daily from 8:00 AM to 1:00 AM, making it an easy fit for a late October performance night.
2) Trianon for another heritage downtown choice
Another strong match for the occasion is Trianon, one of Alexandria’s enduring central café-restaurant names. Trianon’s official branding describes it as “Timeless Taste” and says it dates back to 1905. Its long-standing presence in the Raml Station area makes it a natural choice for readers who want the old cosmopolitan downtown mood before heading to the opera.
While many Alexandrians know Trianon best as a dessert and café landmark, it also suits the kind of unhurried pre-concert meet-up where the atmosphere matters as much as the plate. If your plan is less “quick bite” and more “stretch the evening,” this is one of the area’s most intuitive options.
3) Keep dinner central and avoid overcomplicating the route
Because the event is in central Alexandria, the smartest editorial advice is simple: stay close to Raml Station, Saad Zaghloul Street and Fouad Street. That keeps you near the theatre district feel and reduces the risk of arriving rushed. On a festival night, convenience is part of the luxury.
Where to stroll before the show
Fouad Street is the obvious pre-show walk
If you only choose one pre-concert walk, make it Fouad Street. Official Egyptian state heritage material frames it as one of Alexandria’s oldest continuously inhabited streets and a showcase for the city’s classical European architecture. In practical terms, that means a walk here gives you the right mood for an opera-house concert without requiring a complicated detour.
The ideal version is a short, easy circuit rather than a long march: arrive downtown, have dinner or dessert in Raml Station, then give yourself time to walk toward the theatre and absorb the façades, old shopfront rhythm and city-centre energy. In March 2026, local reporting on an inspection tour by Alexandria’s deputy governor highlighted ongoing attention to the heritage identity of Nabi Daniel Street, Saad Zaghloul Street and Raml Station Square. That matters for visitors because it underlines how central this district remains to Alexandria’s public cultural image.
Nabi Daniel and Raml Station add to the atmosphere
If you want to lengthen the stroll a little, the wider downtown triangle around Nabi Daniel, Saad Zaghloul and Raml Station is the right zone. It is lively, recognisably Alexandrian and closely tied to the city’s older urban character. You do not need a checklist of stops; the point is to experience the streets on the way to the theatre rather than treat dinner and the concert as disconnected plans.
What to know about Ali El-Haggar’s return
El-Haggar’s return is a story in itself. Ahram Online reported on October 4, 2026 that the singer reversed an earlier withdrawal and confirmed his participation in the festival. The same report said he had initially stepped back amid controversy following remarks made at a September 30 press conference by Cairo Opera House chairman Reda El-Wakil over budget constraints. El-Haggar then announced that he would indeed be with audiences at the festival in Cairo and at the Alexandria closing concert.
For audiences in Egypt, that gives the October 29 date extra weight. This is not just another stop on a routine schedule; it is a high-profile return by one of the festival’s most familiar names, in a theatre that is inseparable from Alexandria’s musical and architectural memory.
How to build the ideal central Alexandria concert night
- Start early: Aim to reach central Alexandria with enough time for a sit-down meal rather than grabbing something on the run.
- Choose a heritage address: Délices or Trianon both fit the tone of an Arab Music Festival closing night.
- Leave room for dessert or coffee: In this part of Alexandria, pastry and coffee are part of the outing, not an afterthought.
- Walk the final stretch: Give yourself time on Fouad Street and around Raml Station before entering the theatre.
- Dress for the venue, not just the weather: Sayed Darwish Theatre is one of those places where the room shapes the mood of the night.
For readers in Egypt looking for an Alexandria plan that feels genuinely local, this one practically writes itself: Ali El-Haggar on October 29, a heritage stage, a downtown dinner, and a stroll through the historic core before the lights dim. In a city that does old-world evenings better than almost anywhere in the country, that is about as strong a night out as central Alexandria gets.