Venue
Giza Plateau, Giza, Egypt
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Forever Is Now, Pyramids of Giza guide
Contemporary art on the Giza plateau.
In short
Art lovers and repeat visitors to the pyramids get a new way to see them at Forever Is Now, staged by Art D'Egypte from 4 to 28 November 2026 for its sixth, female-led edition. Large works by Egyptian and international artists respond to the scale and geometry of the monuments, so allow time to walk the site.
For three weeks each November the sand around the Great Pyramid becomes an open-air gallery. Forever Is Now, staged by Art D'Egypte, places large contemporary works on the Giza plateau, so a sculpture made this year stands in direct conversation with monuments that have watched over the desert for four and a half millennia.
The idea is simple and still startling. Artists from Egypt and abroad are asked to make work for this exact ground, answering the pyramids' scale, their geometry and their stubborn permanence. For visitors it is a reason to look at one of the most photographed views on earth with fresh eyes.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Date: Tuesday, 3 November 2026 – Saturday, 28 November 2026
Starts: 6:00 PM
Where: Giza, Egypt
Venue: Giza Pyramid Complex
Held: Every year
Type of event: Arts Festivals, Exhibition
Currency: Egyptian pound (E£, EGP)
Time zone: UTC+2; daylight saving (UTC+3) from late April to late October
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Pyramids of Giza Attraction · 0 m
- Great Sphinx of Giza Attraction · 470 m
- Grand Egyptian Museum Attraction · 2.5 km
- Marriott Mena House, Cairo Hotel · 1.1 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Footwear, water and sun protection on the plateau
The installations are spread across open desert, and the ground between them is sand, gravel and broken stone. Wear closed shoes with grip, not sandals. Shade is scarce even in November, when the midday sun is still strong, so bring a hat, sunscreen and more water than you think you need.
Keep a light layer for early starts, and carry a small bag: you will be on foot for hours. Do not climb on the artworks or the ancient stones, however tempting the photograph.
Dealing with camel and horse touts
- Touts work the entrances hard. A firm shake of the head and a polite la shukran while you keep walking is usually enough.
- If you want to ride, book through an established stable such as FB Stables or the Cairo Horse Riding School.
- Agree the price and the route before you climb on, and pay only at the end.
- Ignore anyone who says the site is closed or offers to show you another way in.
- If someone will not leave you alone, the Tourist Police are on hand to help.
What happens on the day
- 07:00
Plateau gates open
Arrive close to opening for cooler air and long shadows across the sculptures.
- Morning
The installations
Walk the route between the pyramids while the light is soft; weekdays leave far more room than weekends.
- Late afternoon
Second good window
The low sun returns and the crowds thin before closing.
- 17:00
Plateau closes
Closing is an hour earlier, at 16:00, in winter; exhibition hours and any evening sessions are confirmed around the launch.
Planning half a day for the installations and the plateau
Budget at least half a day on the plateau and expect to pay twice. Plateau admission is charged at the main ticket gates, separately from any charge for the exhibition, and the fee changes from time to time, so check it in the week you travel.
The neatest plan pairs the art with the Grand Egyptian Museum. It stands about 2 km northwest of the pyramids and has been fully open since November 2025. Seeing the installations in the softer morning light and the museum after lunch keeps you out of the worst of the midday sun, and the museum's ancient collection gives the contemporary work a sharper context.
Art D'Egypte often runs more than one show at once, so check its listings for something in the city on the same trip. To plan the rest of your time in the country, start with our Egypt travel guide.
Art D'Egypte and the idea behind the exhibition
Art D'Egypte is the creation of Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, a French-Egyptian curator who wanted living artists to show their work inside the country's ancient landmarks. Before Giza, her exhibitions filled the old Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and the historic districts of the capital. The pyramids became the permanent stage, and each autumn since, artists have made large works specifically for this ground.
The scale has grown. The 2025 edition placed 10 installations around the plateau, among them Doors of Cairo by the Portuguese artist Vhils, assembled from 65 doors, many carved with faces. Pistoletto set out his Third Paradise in limestone blocks with an obelisk at the centre.
For 2026 the brief turns to the monuments themselves. The artists, mostly women, are drawn from Egypt and China, from France and the United States, and from Britain and Jamaica, and they take their cue from the pyramids' precise angles and the way they were set against the stars, and to the old human urge to build something that will outlast its makers. Expect pieces designed to be read against tombs some 4,500 years old, not apart from them.
Getting there
Flying into Cairo
Sphinx International, west of Giza beside the desert highway to Alexandria, is closest, with Wizz Air, easyJet, flydubai, Pegasus and Air Arabia among its airlines. Cairo International in Heliopolis has far more flights but means crossing the whole city. From Bangladesh, see Dhaka to Cairo flights.
By ride-hailing app
The pyramids are about 13 km southwest of central Cairo. Uber and InDrive can drop you at the main gate, where Al-Haram Road ends in the west; the old Mena Gate has been closed since 2025.
By metro and bus
Ride the metro to Giza station, then bus or microbus 355 or 357, listening for the conductor calling "Haram". Expect to walk the final 500 m or so.
The Sphinx gate
A smaller gate by the Sphinx, on the southeast side, also sells tickets.
Where to stay during the festival
Sleeping in Giza saves a long morning drive from central Cairo. Most hotels are grouped by the entrance, along and off Abou Al Hool Al Seiahi street, which also has restaurants and small grocers.
For something grander, the Marriott Mena House is a five-minute walk from the main gate.
Giza
Marriott Mena House, Cairo5-star hotel
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from$620.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Swimming pool
- Car park
5 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
November is one of the most comfortable months on the plateau. On the 1991–2020 normals for Cairo International Airport, November averages highs of 24.9 °C and lows of 15.6 °C, with only 4.3 mm of rain in the month.
The desert offers no shade, so the midday sun still feels strong, while early mornings and evenings can be cool.
Worth packing
- A wide-brimmed hat and sun cream
- Plenty of water for the walk between the pyramids
- Closed shoes for sand and uneven ground
- A light layer for early mornings and late afternoons
- Cash in Egyptian pounds for small purchases
Car hire in Giza
Airport transfer to Forever Is Now, Pyramids of Giza
Met at arrivals at Cairo International Airport (CAI) and driven door to door to Giza Pyramid Complex.
- Cairo International Airport (CAI) → Giza Pyramid Complex
- 37 km · 40 min
Restaurants and food in Egypt
Places to eat in Egypt before or after the celebrations.
Mohamed Ahmed
17 Shakour Street, Raml Station, Alexandria, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianFul
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Sofra Restaurant & Café
90 Mohamed Farid Street, Al Manshiya, Luxor, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Koshary Abou Tarek
Champollion Street, Downtown, Cairo, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianKoshary
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
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Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
In April 2026 general admission for foreign visitors was LE700, with students paying half. Prices change often, so check the current fee before you go; the exhibition may carry its own charge.
Yes, with a separate ticket. The interior opens from 8 am to noon and from 1 pm to 4 pm, so fit it in before or after the art.
It runs every evening, with the English performance at 7 pm in the cooler months, so you can stay on after the plateau closes. Treat it as light entertainment.
Formed by Dialogue runs from 5 to 14 November, looking at how art, design and craft have been shaped by the movement of people and ideas. Crafts Re-Imagined closes on 8 November.
Walk out into the desert west of the pyramids for the wide view. There is no shade on the way, so go early or late and take water.
The plateau belongs to the Memphis and its Necropolis site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979, and the exhibition takes place inside the protected area.
Yes. Two of the twelve halls at the Grand Egyptian Museum are given over to his collection, with 5,398 objects on display. The museum is close to the plateau.
The Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex, below the pyramids. A ticket gate beside it is a useful exit at the end of a visit.
Booking
Yes. Art D'Egypte's event page offers seats on a bus tour to the exhibition, booked through a link on that page. It is the easiest option if you would rather not deal with taxis.
Stay & facilities
Khufu's Restaurant serves traditional Egyptian dishes with a view of the pyramids. El Gizawy, near the entrance, is a cheap local choice, and Pizza Hut and KFC face the main ticket gates.
Timing & weather
The fifth edition was open from 11 November to 6 December 2025, a little later in the season than the 2026 show.