Meet the Egyptian Military Symphonic Band as You Explore the Line-Up of the 2024 Spasskaya Tower Festival

The Spasskaya Tower International Military Tattoo will welcome the Egyptian Military Symphonic Band on the iconic cobblestones of Moscow’s Red Square between August 23 and September 1. All the way from Egypt, our foreign guests will immerse the audiences in an authentic music performance enhanced by the musicians’ distinctive interpretation of Russian popular songs.

Embarking on their fourth journey to Moscow, the Egyptian musicians have definitely become one of the Spasskaya Tower Festival’s good friends. National tunes and world-renowned music pieces consistently join hands in the ensemble’s performances, which have always been a meticulously crafted artistic endeavor.

The history of the Egyptian military musicians goes back to 1838, when the country’s first military wind and drum school was founded. At that time, most professors were from France. It wasn’t until 1957 that the Egyptian Military Symphonic Band saw light. The ensemble has always been made up of the finest musicians, and promptly commenced taking part in different far-and-wide competitions. From 1960 to 1966, the musicians were selected as the best artistic ensemble of the World Military Music Festival in Italy. They participated in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1995 and the Berlin Military Music Festival in 2002. A few years later, in 2004, they were invited to join the Bremen Military Music Festival. The Egyptian military musicians won over the sympathies of the Spasskaya Tower Festival immediately after their debut on the cobblestones of Red Square in 2017.

Supporting the state solemn ceremonies and various national celebrations are among the ensemble’s everyday duties. Still, their accomplishments include grand events such as the transportation of the mummies of the pharaohs to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in El Fustat and the opening of the ancient alley of sphinxes in Luxor.

The Egyptian band will take the stage in Moscow with Major General Wael Ali Ahmed Hassan El Desouky and Lieutenant Ahdy Abdelrahman Abdelkhakim at the helm.

The Sixteenth Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival will unfold on Moscow’s Red Square from August 23 to September 1.

In 2023, the Spasskaya Tower Festival won the second grant contest from the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.

It’s being carried out following the Order of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, under the aegis of the Public Council headed by Mr. Alexander Zhukov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and enjoying the long-standing support of the Russian MoD, MFA and Moscow’s Department of Culture.