What to Do at BA’s First Time #30 Opening in Alexandria
A smart Alexandria plan for 15 September 2026
If you are looking for a cultural outing in Alexandria this week, Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s First Time #30 opening is one of the clearest reasons to head to El Shatby on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. The Department of Exhibitions and Fine Arts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is opening the 20th edition of the exhibition, with 13 young artists from several Egyptian governorates. Listings published ahead of the event say the show opens at the Eastern Exhibition Hall and runs until 1 October 2026. The event is part of a longer-running platform that the library has used for years to introduce artists under 30 to a wider public.
That alone makes it a strong stop for anyone who likes discovering new Egyptian visual art before names become familiar. But the better move is to treat it as the anchor for a full Alexandria afternoon: arrive early, walk the Corniche, take coffee either inside the BA complex or across from it, then use the library’s wider campus to turn one exhibition visit into a rounded city outing.
What First Time #30 is, and why this edition matters
Bibliotheca Alexandrina has described First Time #30 in past catalogues as an annual exhibition for young artists that gives each participant a larger space than a standard group show, almost like a first mini-solo presentation. The 2024 catalogue noted that the exhibition began in 2006, focuses on artists roughly in the 18 to 30 age range, and had reached 322 participating artists cumulatively by its 18th round. The 2025 catalogue described the 19th round as featuring 15 artists from Alexandria, Beheira, Cairo, Mansoura, Assiut and Luxor. For 2026, local event coverage states that the 20th round features 13 artists from governorates including Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, Damietta and Qena.
For Alexandria readers, that matters because this is not a parachuted-in international blockbuster. It is a real Egyptian talent platform at one of the country’s most recognizable cultural institutions, making it exactly the kind of local outing that rewards showing up in person rather than scrolling past a poster online.
When to arrive and how to pace your visit
The opening is listed for 2:00 pm on Tuesday, 15 September. A sensible plan is to arrive a little before that, especially if you want photos of the exterior plaza and the sea-facing approach before the afternoon gets busier. The BA’s official visitor information says its visits, museums and Planetarium Science Center hours are typically 9:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Thursday, with Friday closed, while the Main Reading Area usually runs until 6:00 pm on weekdays. That means you can build your day around the exhibition without rushing.
If you want the smoothest version of the day, think of it in three blocks:
- 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm: early coffee or a light lunch in El Shatby.
- 1:45 pm to around 3:30 pm: enter Bibliotheca Alexandrina and spend your main time at First Time #30.
- 3:30 pm onward: add another BA stop, then finish with coffee, dessert or a sunset Corniche walk.
What to do inside Bibliotheca Alexandrina beyond the opening
The biggest mistake visitors make at BA is treating it like a single-room venue. Official BA information makes clear that the complex is much broader: it includes the main library, temporary and permanent exhibitions, and four major museums including the Sadat Museum, Antiquities Museum, Manuscripts Museum and History of Science Museum. If you have not been in a while, that matters because the outing becomes stronger when you pair new contemporary art with one extra institutional stop.
After seeing the young artists’ work, pick one of these routes:
- The quick culture route: browse the library spaces and public areas after the exhibition, then head out for coffee.
- The museum add-on route: use the afternoon to include one museum before closing time.
- The architecture-and-photos route: keep your visit lighter and spend more time on the exterior plaza, the waterfront edge and the famous slanted granite disc of the building.
Another practical advantage: BA’s admission page states that Main Library tickets include guided tours, Culturama shows, the Sadat Museum, and access to permanent and temporary exhibitions. It also notes a particularly useful timing detail for Egyptian visitors: from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, entry is free for Egyptians. If that window applies on your visit day to the areas you want to access, it can help you plan the second half of your outing more economically.
Best cafe move: inside the BA complex first
For the lowest-friction itinerary, start with coffee inside Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Local business listings place Cilantro inside the BA complex on El Geish Road in El Shatby, which makes it the most practical pre-opening stop if you do not want to cross traffic or lose time searching for parking. It is the easiest answer if your priority is convenience, a familiar coffee order and a short walk straight to the exhibition hall.
This works especially well for visitors coming from work. Meet a friend at the library, take your coffee, walk into the opening, then decide later whether to continue the outing elsewhere on the Corniche.
If you want a sea-view follow-up, go across the road
If your real aim is to stretch the art visit into an Alexandria afternoon, leave your longer sit-down break for after the exhibition. One commonly listed option directly in front of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is Selsela Cafe in Al Shatby, a straightforward pick when you want an unfussy Corniche stop with a coastal backdrop. It is not about novelty as much as position: the library in front of you, the Mediterranean beside you, and enough distance from the event crowd to talk through what you just saw.
This is the better place for the post-show debrief. First Time #30 is built around early-career artists and different visual approaches, so half the fun is comparing favorites over coffee or juice afterward.
How to turn the outing into a full Alexandria culture date
The strongest version of this plan is simple: keep everything in one compact stretch of El Shatby. Start near the library, stay for the opening, then walk the seafront. You do not need to over-program the day.
- For art-first visitors: spend most of your energy inside BA, then keep food and coffee simple.
- For couples or friends: use the exhibition as the main event, then extend the day with a Corniche walk and dessert.
- For out-of-town guests: prioritize the architecture, the exhibition and one coffee stop, because that combination delivers a recognizable Alexandria experience with minimal logistics.
There is also a nice symbolic fit here. First Time #30 is about beginnings, experimentation and artists showing work at an early career stage. Bibliotheca Alexandrina itself remains one of Egypt’s most visible addresses for serious public culture. Pairing that with a relaxed Alexandria cafe stop gives the day balance: ambitious art on one side, easy coastal leisure on the other.
The bottom line
On 15 September 2026, the smart move is not just to “attend an opening” but to build a compact Alexandria art-and-cafe itinerary around it. Go to Bibliotheca Alexandrina (@bibalexofficial on Instagram) for the opening of First Time #30 at 2:00 pm, expect a show featuring 13 young Egyptian artists in the Eastern Exhibition Hall, give yourself time to explore more of the BA campus, then finish with coffee either inside the complex or across the road by the sea. In a city full of long drives and overcomplicated plans, this one is refreshingly walkable, current and distinctly Alexandrian.