El Gouna Water Sports Festival 2026: Watch, Eat, Sunset
El Gouna’s biggest water-sports week is still on through 26 September
El Gouna Water Sports Festival 2026 is running until Saturday, 26 September 2026, with the sixth edition spread across two weekends and two of the town’s best-known sports venues. On El Gouna’s official events calendar, the festival is listed from 17 to 26 September. Organizer Fly Events describes it as the event’s sixth edition and says it has grown since its 2021 launch into a multi-discipline festival bringing together kitesurfing, wakeboarding, wing foiling and racing, with more than EGP 300,000 in prizes and rewards.
For readers planning a quick Red Sea escape this week, the practical split is simple: the wind-powered side of the festival has already taken place at Kitepower El Gouna, while the closing days, from 24 to 26 September, are focused on cable wakeboarding at Sliders Cable Park. State-owned Al Ahram Gate also reported on 23 September that El Gouna is hosting the sixth festival edition under the patronage and supervision of the ministries of youth and sports, tourism, and environment, with festival activity continuing at Sliders Cable Park through 26 September.
Where to watch the kitesurfing and wakeboarding
Kitepower El Gouna for kitesurfing, Big Air and foil events
The first competition block ran from 17 to 19 September at Kitepower El Gouna, where the festival program featured Big Air Kitesurfing in Professional, Advanced, Women, Youth Under 16 and OG categories, alongside Wing Foil and Twin-Tip Racing. Fly Events notes that these dates remain wind-dependent, which is standard for kitesurfing competition.
Even if the headline competition days have passed, Kitepower remains one of the most relevant viewing points for understanding why El Gouna works so well for the sport. On El Gouna’s official beaches guide, Kitepower is presented as the town’s oldest kitesurf school, operating since 2004, with a lagoon teaching zone and its own weather station. For spectators, that means a shoreline where you can still watch training runs, recreational riders and the wider beach culture that the festival is built around.
Sliders Cable Park for the closing wakeboarding finals
If you are heading out now, Sliders Cable Park is the main address. The official festival program places wake MANIA there from 24 to 26 September, with Cable Wakeboarding divisions for Open, Under 14 and Under 10. Fly Events describes Sliders as one of the world’s largest Olympic-standard cable parks, with clockwise and anti-clockwise 2 x 5.0 systems plus 2 x Easy Ride 2.0 systems.
That matters for non-riders too: cable wakeboarding is generally easier to follow from shore than wind events because spectators can stay in one place and watch repeated park laps, rail features and finals runs. If you want the clearest festival-day viewing, Sliders is the strongest bet for 25 and 26 September.
Why this week feels bigger than one festival
There is another reason El Gouna feels especially lively right now. Al Ahram Gate reported that the town is also hosting OCEANMAN El Gouna 2026 alongside the water-sports festival, with around 800 swimmers from Egypt and more than 38 countries. The same report said Egyptian participants make up 70.8% of the field, versus 29.2% international swimmers. In other words, this is not just a niche sports weekend; it is one of those September windows when El Gouna’s event calendar, hotel scene and marina nightlife all feed into each other.
Best post-event seafood and sunset spots around Cook’s Club, Casa Cook and the marina
Cook’s Club El Gouna for a ready-made seafood plan
If you want the easiest post-competition dinner idea near Downtown, Cook’s Club El Gouna is the most event-linked pick. El Gouna’s official calendar lists Seafood Night there on Wednesday, 23 September, describing it as a Red Sea seafood buffet with dishes including classic paella and live music, priced at 50 euros per person. That makes it a strong template for the rest of the festival week too: this is the side of El Gouna built for easygoing pool hours, dinner, then a short move into nightlife.
Cook’s Club El Gouna (@cooksclubhotels on Instagram) also has a Daily Pool Party listed on 26 September, running every day from 12 p.m. until sunset, with music by Resident DJ Ray. If you want a low-effort finale after the wakeboarding, this is one of the simplest same-area options.
Casa Cook El Gouna for a quieter sunset-to-dinner switch
For a more laid-back adults-oriented mood, Casa Cook El Gouna works better than the Downtown party circuit. The official El Gouna events page lists a Friday BBQ Night at Casa Cook on 25 September, running from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm at 45 euros per person. The listing describes a buffet format in the courtyard at the Kitchen Club, with options for meat lovers, vegetarians and guests with dietary preferences.
That timing makes sense for festival-goers: spend late afternoon at the cable park, catch sunset light across the lagoons, then move to dinner without committing to a louder marina night. Casa Cook is less about people-watching and more about slowing the pace after a day of sun, spray and competition.
New Marina and Abu Tig-style waterfront evenings
For classic El Gouna sunset energy, the marina districts remain the obvious move. On its official marinas guide, El Gouna describes Abu Tig North Basin as offering premium mooring, upscale dining and a vibrant waterfront experience. The same guide presents the marina network as one of the resort town’s defining lifestyle assets, with 660 berths across the system.
If you prefer dinner with boats in view rather than a hotel event, one practical nearby option on El Gouna’s official dining pages is MerBey Restaurant at Mosaique Hotel, which is described as a waterside Lebanese restaurant that is just a stroll away from the New Marina or Abu Tig Marina. It serves lunch and dinner daily until midnight, which is useful if the competition runs late or you want to keep your evening flexible.
The wider El Gouna site also continues to position the marina areas as the town’s natural after-dark center, highlighting waterfront restaurants, cafés and bars. For Egypt-based weekenders, that usually translates into a familiar Red Sea rhythm: sports first, then a promenade walk, sunset by the yachts, and dinner once the heat drops.
How to plan the rest of festival week
- For live sport: Go to Sliders Cable Park on 24 to 26 September for the most current festival action.
- For sunset and music: Head toward Cook’s Club El Gouna in Downtown, especially if you want a pool-party atmosphere.
- For dinner after the event: Choose Casa Cook for a calmer evening or the marina zone for a livelier waterfront meal.
- For seafood: Watch Cook’s Club’s dining programming and the marina restaurants, where El Gouna’s official listings regularly spotlight seafood-led events and waterfront dining.
The bottom line: El Gouna Water Sports Festival 2026 is not just a spectator event; it is a neat excuse to experience the Red Sea town at full volume before 26 September. With wakeboarding still active at Sliders, pool-and-DJ afternoons at Cook’s Club, BBQ dining at Casa Cook and marina sunsets within easy reach, this is one of those rare El Gouna weekends when sport, food and going out genuinely line up.