the king’s feast opens cairo food week 2025
Debuting at Cairo Food Week 2025, the King’s Feast immerses guests in a multi-sensory installation that transcends the act of dining. Titled the King’s Feast: Between Two Banks, the event uses gastronomy, design, light, and scent to weave a captivating story of ancient Egyptian cosmology and the Nile’s enduring life force. Alchemy Experience curates this transformative dining landscape, inviting guests to not just eat, but to experience a living narrative rooted in history and reimagined for the future.
The King’s Feast: Between Two Banks returns to Cairo Food Week 2025
image by Laila Heiba
the nile flows through the king’s feast
The 2025 edition, The King’s Feast: Between Two Banks, is a highlight of Cairo Food Week, returning with a powerful new context. Following two successful editions that established its reputation as a celebratory showcase of cultural and culinary heritage, the feast finds its home at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), ahead of its highly anticipated opening. The entire event, curated by Alchemy Experience, functions as a cohesive, theatrical narrative. At its center, the now-notorious 20-meter-long table acts as a physical representation of the Nile, dividing the space into two symbolic halves: the East (life) and the West (afterlife).
the notorious 20-meter-long table acts as a physical representation of the Nile
image by Omar Aziz
The Feast’s journey begins with the Scent of the Nile, which fragrantly welcome guests by using ancient aromas like frankincense and myrrh to bridge the earthly and the divine. The space opens up to the Gathering in the River Garden, representing a modern ritual of community through its open greenery and bar. It concludes with Offering, where a tribute to Egypt’s agricultural heritage is presented along the giant dining table.
diners journey begins with the Scent of the Nile, including ancient aromas like frankincense and myrrh
image by Laila Heiba
Sage Experience translates this ancient Egyptian cosmology into the physical meal. The East Bank features dishes with vibrant colors, fresh ingredients, and bright flavors, symbolizing the rising sun and renewal. In contrast, the West Bank offers a more contemplative experience, with dishes focused on complex, slow-cooked flavors. These are presented on darker, earthier tableware to reflect the passage into the underworld. This dual-bank approach ensures that guests journey through a conceptual landscape with every course, connecting the food and its presentation to the deep spiritual beliefs of Egypt’s past.
Sage Experience translates ancient Egyptian cosmology into the physical meal for the East and West banks
image by Laila Heiba
The atmosphere is sculpted by Enlighten‘s lighting design, which captures the rhythms of light through a sensorial biophilic approach. This is not just illumination but rather a living presence that echoes the sky’s cycles from dawn to dusk. The lighting shifts to reflect the circadian rhythm: beginning with golden hues of dawn to awaken the senses, transitioning to bright midday light for the main feast, and softening into warm amber tones for reflection as evening sets in. This creates an emotional and immersive journey that connects guests to the very pulse of nature.
Enlighten’s lighting design captures the rhythms of light through a sensorial biophilic approach
image by Laila Heiba
The King’s Feast 2025 shows how design can breathe new life into heritage, inviting visitors to experience the city’s rich culture and forward-thinking artistry in a truly monumental setting. The event’s host, Grand Egyptian Museum is especially significant, as it places the event directly on the Nile’s banks. This symbolic homecoming is further reinforced by the partnership with Jirian Palm Hills, which aims to re-center Cairo’s urban living around the river. Situated in New Sheikh Zayed with over 9km of the Nile frontage, the major project promises modern and sustainable, community-led design to contribute to the greater city’s growth.
lights shift between golden hues of dawn, bright midday light for feasting, and warm amber tones of evening
image by Laila Heiba
fragrance like myrrh welcome guests into the space to bridge the earthly and the divine
image by Omar Aziz
the two banks ensure every course connects the food and guests to deep spiritual beliefs of Egypt’s past
image by Laila Heiba
event info:
event: Cairo Food Week | @cairofoodweek
dates: 25 September to 4 October, 2025
location: Cairo, Egypt
organizer: Flavor Republic | @flavor_republic
curator: Alchemy Experience | @alchemy.experience
culinary design: Sage Experience | @thesagexperience
lighting concept: Enlighten | @enlighten.eg
botanical installations: Flowerbar | @flowerbar_egypt
photographers: Laila Heiba and Omar Aziz | @storiesbylaila and @azizedition
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