What’s On at Bibliotheca Alexandrina After Summer 2026
After the BA summer festival, September starts immediately
If you are used to treating the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as an August address, September 2026 is a good reminder that the season does not really end when the summer festival wraps. The library in Chatby remains one of Alexandria’s most dependable cultural anchors, with ticketed concerts and theatre continuing at the Conference Center on the Mediterranean-facing stretch of the city. The official BA address remains P.O. Box 138, Chatby 21526, Alexandria, and its event platforms show a run of September performances rather than a post-summer slowdown.
For local audiences, the headline weekend comes early: Egyptian composer and producer Hisham Kharma (@hishamkharma on Instagram) is scheduled for Friday, 11 September 2026, followed the next evening by the theatrical performance Miramar on Saturday, 12 September 2026. Both are listed for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Conference Center, Great Hall at 8:00 pm, making this one of the clearest back-to-back culture weekends on Alexandria’s September calendar.
11 September: Hisham Kharma with the BA Orchestra
The more prominent of the two nights is clearly Hisham Kharma’s concert. BA’s official online ticketing lists “Hisham Kharma Accompanied by the BA Orchestra” for Friday, 11 September 2026, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, with Nayer Nagui named as conductor and a listed ticket price of EGP 400. That positioning matters: this is not simply another solo set, but a large-hall performance framed around orchestral presentation, which suits Kharma’s crossover reputation as a composer whose work moves between electronic textures, cinematic arrangement and contemporary instrumental music.
For Alexandria audiences, Kharma is also not a one-off booking. Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s own photo galleries document previous appearances by him at the venue, including concerts on 30 August 2023 and 23 November 2024. That history suggests an artist-venue relationship that already has an audience in the city, and it helps explain why this 11 September date stands out as the BA’s biggest immediate post-summer music event.
If you are planning around the concert practically, this is the night to arrive early. The Great Hall format, the higher ticket tier, and the appeal of Kharma’s orchestral setup all point to a busier crowd than a smaller club-style evening elsewhere in Alexandria. It is the kind of event where a coffee-and-dessert stop nearby can be smarter than a heavy late dinner, especially if you want to be seated comfortably before the 8:00 pm start.
12 September: Miramar brings theatre back to the Great Hall
The following night changes the mood but keeps the same cultural geography. BA’s Arabic event listing and official ticketing pages both show Miramar on 12 September 2026 at 8:00 pm in the Great Hall, with Ahmed El-Ramady credited as director. The listed public ticket price is notably accessible at EGP 50, which makes it one of the more affordable major-venue nights on the BA calendar this month.
That pricing difference is part of what makes the weekend attractive. One night is a premium concert built around a well-known Egyptian composer and orchestra; the next is a lower-cost theatre outing that opens the door to a broader local audience, including students and younger Alexandrians who may want the BA experience without a large spend. For readers planning their month rather than just one evening, it is also worth noting that BA’s September listings continue beyond this weekend, including Nostos Eros on 18 September, Life Melody Choir on 24 September, and an interactive comedy show on 25 September 2026. In other words, the September program is clearly active, not transitional.
How to plan the evening in Chatby
Bibliotheca Alexandrina (@bibalexofficial on Instagram) sits in one of Alexandria’s easiest culture-meets-coast locations. Chatby places you close to central Alexandria routes while still feeling distinct from the heavier traffic of other evening districts. The result is a night-out format Alexandrians know well: leave work, head toward the Corniche or central tram-adjacent areas, eat nearby, then continue to the BA for an 8:00 pm curtain.
The key decision is whether you want a quick pre-show stop or a proper post-show meal. For the Kharma concert especially, lighter and more reliable options make sense before the performance. For Miramar, with its lower ticket price and more relaxed theatre rhythm, dinner afterwards may be the better move.
Where to eat before or after Bibliotheca Alexandrina
1) Délices for a classic Alexandria stop
Délices (@delicesgroup on Instagram) is still one of the safest names to recommend when the night is centered on central Alexandria rather than a destination restaurant far from your venue. The company’s own site describes it as an Alexandria patisserie, café and restaurant established in 1922. That heritage matters in a BA guide because the pairing feels natural: one of the city’s defining cultural institutions followed by one of its longstanding food names.
Délices works best if you want coffee, dessert, breakfast-for-dinner energy, or a lighter meal before the show. It is also ideal after the performance if your group wants to keep the night going without committing to a full seafood feast.
2) Branzino for a fuller seafood dinner
If you want the meal to feel as Alexandrian as the venue itself, Branzino is a useful nearby-style option. The restaurant’s official Alexandria page describes its branch as serving fresh Mediterranean seafood overlooking the Corniche. That makes it the stronger pick for diners who want a proper fish dinner before Miramar or a more substantial late meal after either event. Seafood is the obvious local move here, but timing matters: leave buffer time before the 8:00 pm start, especially on a Friday.
3) Keep it simple in Chatby and along the Corniche
The smartest local advice is not to overcomplicate the route. On nights built around the BA, convenience usually beats trend-chasing. Choose somewhere established on or near your path, avoid cross-city detours, and remember that the venue itself is the destination. In September, when Alexandria is shifting out of peak summer but still busy on weekends, a smooth plan is part of the pleasure.
- Best pre-show strategy for 11 September: coffee, dessert, or a light meal, then head early to the Great Hall.
- Best pre-show strategy for 12 September: an easy casual dinner, since the ticket price leaves room in the budget for a fuller meal.
- Best post-show strategy: dessert and coffee if you want to stay central, seafood if you are making the evening your main outing.
The local verdict for September 2026
For Alexandria readers asking what comes after the summer festival rush, the answer is straightforward: Bibliotheca Alexandrina stays in the game immediately. The strongest one-two punch is the Hisham Kharma concert on 11 September 2026 and Miramar on 12 September 2026, both at 8:00 pm in the Conference Center Great Hall. One offers a high-profile orchestral concert at EGP 400; the other brings theatre to the same hall at EGP 50. Together, they make a compelling case for keeping Chatby on your September night-out map.
If you only pick one, Kharma is the marquee event. If you want the best-value local culture weekend, do both: music on Friday, theatre on Saturday, with Alexandria food woven around each night the way the city does best.