Sharm El Sheikh Events and Festivals

Coptic Christmas: This religious and festive holiday is held at the beginning of January. The small numbers of Coptic residents that live in the city celebrate by hosting colourful parades, musical concerts and religiously significant plays.

Coptic Easter: This is a very important festival in the Coptic calendar. It is a time for Coptic Christians to visit their families and serve giant feasts in remembrance of those in need of who are no longer living.

Shem al Nessim: This is the first day of the new spring, with the name directly translating as ‘sniffing the breeze’. The first day of spring is always celebrated on the first Monday after Coptic Easter. It is a national holiday, so many shops and businesses will be closed on this day.

International Camel Competition: This annual event sees some of the region’s best camels competing against each other in a race to find the fastest camel in the whole of Sinai.

National Fishing Competition: This traditional event dates back to when the city was a non-descript fishing village. The city’s top fishermen compete to see who can catch the biggest fish.

Evacuation Day: This auspicious day celebrates the declaration of the Republic in 1953 and the removal of foreign troops in 1956.

International Shopping and Tourism Festival: This festival aims to boost tourism figures in the city by targeting shops and stalls. Discounts are offered on practically everything including clothes, souvenirs, carvings, material and even hotels rates and restaurant prices. It is a great time to be in Sharm, as there is a great atmosphere and excellent discounts to be had.

Revolution Day: This day is celebrated across Egypt and marks the anniversary of the rise of the Republic in 1952 and the fall of the Egyptian royal government.

Armed Forces Day: This day celebrates the Egyptian forces crossing of the Suez Canal in 1973, when the country was at war with Israel. This is a national holiday throughout Egypt.

International Diving Competition: Competitors from across the world compete for the coveted first prize.

International Fishing Competition: This is a similar competition to the fishing competition held in May, but on an international scale. It sees keen fishermen travel from around the world and gather in Sharm.

Religious Festivals
Egypt’s religious festivals follow the Islamic lunar calendar. Therefore, the exact dates change each year. Ramadan occurs 29 days earlier each year, with Eid Al Fitr marking the end of Ramadan.

Ramadan: This religious festival takes place for an entire month. During this period, devout Muslims are not allowed to let anything pass their lips during daylight hours. This includes food, water or even cigarettes. They must also completely refrain from any sexual activity or thoughts. Many shops and offices will have irregular opening hours during Ramadan or they will simply not open at all. People tend to sleep in the afternoon and stay awake longer at night. It is considered an insult for tourists to eat or drink in public while the fast is taking place, and while visitors are not expected to partake in Ramadan, they should be subtle and discreet when eating or drinking. Tourist hotels do not follow the same rules, so you will be able to eat and drink in public areas within your hotel compound.

Eid al-Fitr: This festival celebrates the end of Ramadan and visitors will experience three days of feasting. There is also public slaughtering of sheep and goats, which may offend some tourists.