A grand opening fit for a Grand Egyptian Museum

It was by no means an easy task to organize an opening ceremony for an event as extraordinary as the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum. It was, in essence, a retelling of a civilization that has endured for thousands of years and continues to impact our present. Staging such a monumental event comes with immense logistical and creative challenges, requiring the transformation of vision into reality through extensive coordination across multiple disciplines, each with its own complex demands.

The planning process calls for sustained effort from numerous teams working together under intense pressure and tight deadlines, particularly when the event takes place across such a vast setting, both inside and outside the museum, before hundreds of distinguished guests, and is broadcast live to dozens of international networks.

In the days leading up to the GEM's official opening, these considerations were on the minds of observers throughout Egypt. On Saturday, 1 November 2025, the ceremony's successful execution addressed these concerns and demonstrated what careful planning could achieve.

THE GRAND ENTRANCE-

The inaugural procession: Dressed in traditional Ancient Egyptian attire designed by fashion designers Mai Galal and Khaled Azzam, hundreds of Egyptian participants filled the Giza Plateau. Leading the procession were actors Salma Abu Deif, Huda El Mufti, Ahmed Ghozzi, and Ahmed Malek, joined by celebrated Egyptian athletes Ahmed El Gendy, Feryal Ashraf, and Farida Osman. As they advanced, pausing to hold the Ankh — a symbol of eternal life — to their chests, the 120-musician orchestra began to play, while a message illuminated the night sky, establishing the ceremony's central theme: Welcome to the Land of Peace.

The screen then transitioned to a face instantly recognizable: Former Culture Minister Farouk Hosny. Having first conceived the Grand Egyptian Museum two decades ago, Hosny delivered an emotional speech that spoke to the insurmountable efforts, visions, and dreams that shaped GEM. “I have been living for this moment, and it has finally become reality,” Hosny said. “Today, we celebrate the inauguration of a stronghold in which Egyptian civilization manifests itself in the most brilliant of ways,” he said, affirming the indomitable nature of the Egyptian soul — past, present, and future.

Brought to life by composer Hisham Nazih and led by Egyptian Maestro Nayer Nagui, the Cairo Opera House Orchestra opened with the Fanfares for the Jubilee by Rimsky-Korsakov, a 19th-century composition created by Aleksandr Glazunov and Anatoly Lyadov as tribute to their mentor, the renowned Russian composer. As light flooded the plateau, the orchestra transitioned to Paul Dukas' Fanfare pour préceder La Péri, originally written as a prelude to Dukas' one-act ballet to signal its beginning, now serving to set the stage for the grand ceremony ahead.

The orchestra then performed Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man. Inspired by US Vice President Henry Wallace's 1942 speech declaring the 20th century as the century of the common man, the composition honors ordinary citizens — musicians, artists, and all who call Egypt home. These ceremonial fanfares from Russia, France, and the United States served as prelude to the final fanfare: Ana El Masry, composed by Sayed Darwish, known as the father of Egyptian music, and arranged by Nagui. This hymn, deeply embedded in Egyptian cultural consciousness, speaks to themes of glory, pride, and heritage.

As President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, First Lady Entissar El Sisi, and world leaders took their seats, Mozart's Priests' March from the 18th-century opera The Magic Flute, composed to invoke the presence of Isis and Osiris, filled the air. With this, the ceremony began in earnest: “Peace, from the land of peace,” echoed throughout the Grand Egyptian Museum.

As the lights dimmed, Egyptian soprano and Broadway performer Sherine Tarek took the stage with operatic vocals reminiscent of those that might have echoed through Ancient Egyptian temples at their height. What began as a solo performance soon expanded to include orchestras and processions from Tokyo, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and New York, as musicians and performers worldwide simultaneously joined in a demonstration of global cultural unity, each incorporating elements of their own cultural traditions into the composition The World Plays One Melody.

The message was clear: “Art is the language that continues to unite humanity,” narrated Egyptian icon Sherihan. As Tarek delivered her final note, Sherihan began recounting Egyptian history while an advanced light show projected stars and pyramids across the night sky. Making her long-awaited return to the stage, the Egyptian star emerged accompanied by dancers performing to a hauntingly beautiful orchestral composition.

“I've come from tomorrow, carrying thousands of years of civilizations behind me — and before me, a future that is brilliantly lit,” announced rising star Yasmina El Abd as she took the stage. Her speech carried the ceremony's message of peace: "Our peace today is our civilization tomorrow." A montage featuring Egypt's most treasured monuments followed, attended by performers dressed in traditional garments. The Pyramids of Giza, the Senefru Pyramid, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Philae Temple, the Abu Simbel Temple, and the Luxor Temple were illuminated as the choir delivered another powerful performance, soon interwoven with familiar hymns.

As Coptic hymns and Sufi chants emanated from the stage, the scene shifted to monuments of modern Egyptian history: St. George Church, the Citadel, Al Muizz, Abdeen Palace, El Gezirah Palace, Windsor Palace Luxor, and Aswan's Old Cataract, culminating with Egypt's newest landmark, the New Administrative Capital.

Presidential address and official inauguration: As the final orchestral notes concluded, President El Sisi addressed both the attendees and the global audience. “Egypt is the oldest nation known to history. Here, civilization inscribed its first letters, and the world witnessed the birth of art, thought, writing, and faith,” El Sisi stated. “Today, we write a new chapter in the history of the present and the future,” he added.

Following his address, the president officially inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum by placing the final piece of a symbolic GEM model, metaphorically and literally illuminating the museum to the accompaniment of the 120-musician orchestra. Fireworks erupted across the sky as a global audience watched.

Egyptian soprano Fatma Said then delivered a powerful performance composed by Nazih, interspersed with theatrical spoken word segments performed by Said and young Egyptian performer Aser. The piece detailed the history of Egyptian obelisks, their creation, and for many, their removal from Egypt.

As Said continued her performance, obelisks both in Egypt and abroad — in Paris, Rome, and London — were simultaneously illuminated, accompanied by deepening orchestral symphonies, symbolizing their connection to their original home. Egyptian tenor Ragaa El Din then joined Said on stage, narrating the history of Pharaoh Ramses II, who oversaw history's first documented peace treaty. The performance highlighted the influence of his wife Nefertari, to whom he paid tribute on the walls of Abu Simbel with the inscription, “she is the one for whom the sun shines.”

The Grand Egyptian Museum was then metaphorically submerged underwater as Said recounted the achievements of Alexander the Great and the magnificent coastal city he founded. The walls turned blue and aerial performers moved throughout the space as Aser traveled along the grand staircase, observing the Pharaonic statues recovered from the depths of the Mediterranean, accompanied by oud music and choral chanting.

As this segment concluded, Said returned to recall the Laws of Ma'at, history's first codified laws, and the Ancient Egyptians' scientific, cultural, and artistic achievements. She then yielded the stage to Egyptian virtuosos Amira and Mariam Abu Zahra, who performed violin alongside the orchestra and choir.

A tribute to the Nile: Following the sisters' performance, a segment dedicated to the Nile commenced. “The Nile is the root of all stories [...] and our ancestors swore never to pollute its waters nor block its flow,” resonated throughout the space. This was followed by a Nubian medley led by Nubian singer Ahmed Ismail on the oud, later joined by Egyptian singer Haneen El Shater, who sang in Arabic as dancers moved gracefully, holding lotus flowers.

The final journey: Attention turned to Khufu's solar barques, the remarkably preserved boats that carried the great king on his final journey. The sky was once again illuminated with projections depicting this journey, as the ship appeared to sail above the Grand Egyptian Museum to Tarek's vocals and the orchestra's accompaniment.

CURTAINS FALL-

The final segment of the opening ceremony honored Hussein Abdel Rasoul, the Egyptian boy who led to the 20th century's greatest archaeological discovery. Narrated by actor Karim Abdelaziz, this closing piece recounted the fortuitous discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, initially found not by Howard Carter, but by a young water carrier from Luxor.

This tribute provided a fitting conclusion to the Grand Egyptian Museum's opening ceremony. King Tutankhamun's iconic golden mask then appeared suspended above the museum as performers throughout Egypt delivered their final dance sequences, while sopranos and tenors sang concluding notes in Arabic, English, and other languages. Fireworks erupted one final time, bringing the historic evening to a close.