Egyptian singer Ali El Haggar reversed his boycott of the 34th Arab Music Festival after the Cairo Opera House agreed to musician demands, scheduling performances for October 24 and 29, following widespread artist protests over administrative disorder and low orchestra budgets.
The annual festival, running from October 20 to 30, across multiple venues including the Cairo Opera House and Alexandria’s Sayed Darwish Theater, faced a wave of walkouts before organizers addressed the financial grievances raised by backing musicians following the intervention by the Cairo Opera House.
Ali El Haggar Restores Festival Dates After Opera House Concessions
Ali El Haggar initially broke ranks by announcing his first absence from the festival since its launch over what he characterized as a weak and insulting budget allocated for his backing ensemble according to regional reporting. The dispute quickly widened beyond a single artist’s billing to expose structural disparities in compensation for the instrumentalists who perform behind headliners.
Industry reports from November 2023 noted that backing musicians often received minimal fees while facing limited monthly work schedules and mandatory rehearsal requirements as detailed by reporting on musicians’ compensation. Syndicate rules mandate at least 12 accompanying musicians for domestic concerts, turning orchestra budgets into a major operational hurdle for state-backed cultural events.
Following administrative adjustments and direct engagement with the artists, El Haggar announced his return to the official roster via a public statement thanking opera leadership.
Ali El Haggar said, “God willing, I will be with you at the long-standing Arab Music Festival on Saturday, October 24, in Cairo at the Main Hall of the Opera House, and on Thursday, October 29, at the festival’s closing concert at the Sayed Darwish Theater in Alexandria,” according to Alarabiya.
Broad Artist Boycotts and Administrative Chaos Upend Festival Preparation
Media commentator Tamer Amin noted on television that 11 performers had announced walkouts, including Ahmed Gamal, Mohamed Tharwat, Assi El Hellani, Marwa Nagy, Woulla El Gindy, Ali El Haggar, Ramy Sabry, Mei Farouk, Ahmed Saad, Jannat, and Bahaa Sultan according to broadcast coverage.
Marwa Nagy published an extensive rebuttal addressing allegations of financial greed, clarifying that the festival offered her less than half of her previous fee and that she had offered to perform in Alexandria without any pay as reported by regional news outlets. Nagy cited severe administrative disorganization, stating that organizers imposed concert dates clashing with prior commitments and ignored her coordination attempts.
Meanwhile, other acts faced contradictory rumors.
Budgetary Pressures and High-Profile Salary Waivers at the Opera House
Cairo Opera House head Reda El Wakil addressed the institutional funding constraints by detailing concessions made by artists to keep the event viable as cited in industry analysis. Singers Amal Maher and Assi El Hellani waived their fees entirely, while composer Omar Khairat agreed to accept fifty percent of his compensation to help offset financial limitations.
The program features scheduled performances by Medhat Saleh, Mohamed Helmy, Khaled Selim, Nada Al Sharara, and Ghada Ragab alongside scientific research conferences and instrumental competitions.
