Starlight Festival Makes Historic Debut at the Great Pyramids of Giza
Michael Bibi, Charlotte de Witte, Adriatique and Indira Paganotto led a two-day celebration of electronic music, drawing attendees from 114 countries to one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
The Great Pyramids of Giza became the backdrop for a new chapter in electronic music as Starlight Festival made its debut on October 9 and 10, bringing together more than 60 international and regional artists for two days of music in the Egyptian desert. Organised by EXIT Festival and P+US, the electronic music platform from Venture Lifestyle, the sold-out event welcomed attendees from 114 countries, marking an ambitious first edition for a festival looking to establish itself on the international circuit.
Starlight became the first multi-day, multi-stage electronic music festival to take place at Giza and the largest electronic music event held at the site since Jean-Michel Jarre’s millennium concert in 1999. Against the monumental backdrop of the pyramids, the festival brought together different corners of contemporary electronic music, from underground techno and psychedelic sounds to melodic house and globally recognised club anthems.
FROM UNDERGROUND TECHNO TO GLOBAL HEADLINERS
Charlotte de Witte made her long-awaited Egyptian debut, delivering one of the weekend’s headline performances. The Belgian techno powerhouse joined a lineup featuring Michael Bibi, Adriatique, Indira Paganotto, Enrico Sangiuliano, Vintage Culture, Pete Tong and WhoMadeWho, reflecting the increasingly diverse musical landscape of large-scale electronic festivals.
EXIT’s No Sleep stage brought a more underground-focused programme to the desert, with Charlie Sparks, BIIA, Layla Benitez, Paolo Ferrara and Olympe among its featured artists. Elsewhere, Fiona Kraft, Floyd Lavine, Lanna, Coeus, Reblok, Cloonee and Deer Jade contributed to a programme that moved between different sounds and approaches to dance music.
Live electronic performances also played a central role in the festival’s identity. Organisers highlighted WhoMadeWho and Satori as two of the weekend’s standout acts, while Italian duo Giolì & Assia brought the celebrations to a close with a farewell performance in Cairo on Sunday.
A VISUAL SPECTACLE BENEATH THE PYRAMIDS
Beyond the music, Starlight placed considerable emphasis on its visual production. Multimedia design studio Sila Sveta was responsible for transforming the festival site into an immersive environment, using lighting, architectural elements and optical illusions to create the impression that the pyramids were floating above the main stage.
The production demonstrated how electronic music events are increasingly using their surroundings as an integral part of the experience rather than simply as a backdrop. At Giza, the relationship between ancient architecture and contemporary audiovisual technology became one of the festival’s defining features, bringing a new visual dimension to one of the world’s most recognisable historical sites.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR EXIT
Starlight also marked the final stop of EXIT’s international tour, a significant moment for the Serbian festival organisation. According to organisers, the tour followed EXIT’s departure from Serbia after the festival publicly supported student-led protests in the country.
The Egyptian debut represented another step in EXIT’s international expansion, bringing its festival production experience to a destination that has increasingly attracted major electronic music performances.
With its inaugural edition now complete, Starlight has already confirmed its return to the Great Pyramids of Giza on November 5 and 6, 2027.
Pre-registration for the next edition is now open through the festival’s official website.
