How to Build an Alexandria Night Around Hisham Kharma at BA
A real Friday-night plan built around Hisham Kharma at Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Alexandria already knows how to do a cultured night out, but Friday, 11 September 2026 comes with an especially clear anchor: Hisham Kharma is booked to perform at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center, Great Hall at 8:00 pm, with the listing stating that he will be accompanied by the BA Orchestra under conductor Nayer Nagui. The event is scheduled to run until 10:00 pm, and the listed ticket price is EGP 400. That is the fixed point around which to build the evening, not a hypothetical plan or a vague cultural suggestion.
For Alexandria readers, the appeal is obvious. The concert brings one of Egypt’s best-known contemporary instrumental names back into one of the city’s most distinctive cultural venues, right on the Mediterranean edge of Al-Shatby. Hisham Kharma (@hishamkharma on Instagram) is known for a crossover sound that moves between electronic, orchestral and regional influences, while the Bibliotheca Alexandrina remains one of the city’s defining landmarks, combining a major library, museums and a large conference center in one waterfront complex.
First, lock in the concert details
If you are planning the evening around the show, the practical details matter. The official Bibliotheca Alexandrina online ticketing page lists Friday, 11 September 2026, 8:00 pm, Great Hall, with admission at EGP 400. Because this is a seated evening concert in the BA Conference Center, it makes sense to arrive in Shatby early rather than gamble on last-minute parking and a rushed meal.
The BA itself is more than just a venue stop. Egypt’s official tourism platform describes the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a major cultural complex in Shatby, with museums, exhibitions and the seafront setting that has made it one of Alexandria’s most recognizable modern landmarks. In other words, this is one of the few Alexandria nights where the setting is as important as the performance.
What the ideal timeline looks like
The smartest version of this night is simple: arrive in Shatby around 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm, eat within a few minutes of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, head into the venue comfortably before showtime, then keep the night going with coffee on the Corniche after the concert lets out around 10:00 pm.
- 6:00-6:30 pm: Reach Shatby and settle in before traffic pressure builds.
- 6:30-7:30 pm: Early dinner near the BA.
- 7:30-7:45 pm: Short move to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina entrance.
- 8:00-10:00 pm: Hisham Kharma with the BA Orchestra.
- 10:15 pm onward: Late coffee or dessert by the Corniche.
Where to eat before the show in Shatby
1) Branzino for a full sit-down seafood dinner
If you want the pre-concert meal to feel like part of the occasion, Branzino Alexandria is one of the clearest nearby options. The restaurant’s official page places it at Casino Elshatby, Cornish Road, with opening hours listed as 10:00 am to 12:00 am from Saturday to Wednesday and 10:00 am to 1:00 am on Thursday and Friday. That Friday closing time is especially useful here because it means the restaurant also works for a post-show meal if you skip dinner beforehand.
Its positioning is explicitly Mediterranean seafood, and the Corniche-facing Shatby location makes it one of the easiest ways to keep the night feeling unmistakably Alexandrian. For concertgoers who want fish, grilled seafood and a proper table service dinner before heading into the Great Hall, this is the polished choice.
2) Crave for a broader, easier crowd-pleaser
If your group wants something less seafood-specific, Crave at Casino AlShatby is another nearby option. Its branch listing places it in Shatby and classifies it across international, pizza and sandwiches. That range makes it useful for mixed groups, especially if one person wants a lighter meal and another wants a more substantial plate before the concert.
The practical note here is timing: the branch hours listed online show service until 8:45 pm. That means Crave works best as an early dinner, not a post-concert fallback. If you choose it, be there comfortably before 7:00 pm so you can eat without watching the clock.
3) Keep it casual if you want coffee before the music
For readers who prefer a lighter start, Selsela Cafe is listed in front of Bibliotheca Alexandria, directly on the beach. It is more of a coffee-and-drinks stop than a major dinner destination, but it suits a low-key plan: a light sandwich, a cold drink or coffee, and then a short walk into the BA.
This option is especially useful if the concert itself is the priority and you do not want a heavy meal before a two-hour seated performance.
Why this concert works so well for a food-and-going-out feature
Some events are worth attending, but do not naturally build into a night. This one does. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina sits in a stretch of Alexandria where culture, sea views and casual dining all overlap. Because the concert starts at 8:00 pm and is scheduled to end at 10:00 pm, it creates exactly the kind of timeline that suits Alexandria’s Friday rhythm: not too early, not too late, and still open to a second stop after the applause.
It also helps that this is not a generic booking. The official listing specifically names Nayer Nagui and the BA Orchestra, which gives the evening more weight than a standard solo appearance. For fans of Hisham Kharma’s cinematic, layered sound, the orchestral setting is part of the draw.
After the show: late coffee on the Corniche
Once the concert ends around 10:00 pm, the best move is not to rush home. Stay in the area and let the city do the rest. The Shatby stretch of the Corniche is built for a wind-down walk, and nearby venues make it easy to turn the concert into a complete night instead of a single stop.
If you want something relaxed, coffee by the water is the obvious next chapter. Selsela Cafe remains the most literal “opposite the BA” option from the listings available online, while Branzino remains viable for those who prefer dessert, a later seafood plate or just a longer seated conversation after the performance. On Fridays, Branzino’s listed closing time of 1:00 am gives it extra value as a post-show backup.
Final verdict: make this a planned Alexandria night, not just a concert errand
The best way to do Hisham Kharma at Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Friday, 11 September 2026 is to treat it as a full Alexandria outing. Start with an early Shatby dinner, give yourself enough time to enter the BA without stress, and end with coffee or dessert on the Corniche after the show.
For most people, the strongest plan is this: Branzino for dinner, BA for the 8:00 pm concert, then a late seafront coffee nearby. It is local, walkable in spirit even when you move by car, and rooted in real addresses, real timings and a real cultural event already on the books. In a city that does evenings better than almost anywhere in Egypt, that is about as complete a Friday plan as you can ask for.