El Sawy Culturewheel is one of Cairo's livelier independent arts spaces, squeezed into the unlikely under-bridge land at the end of 26 July Street in Zamalek. The programme changes constantly: concerts, poetry, film screenings, talks, children's workshops, book events, and small exhibitions, often at prices that make it easy to take a chance on something unfamiliar.
It is worth checking the schedule if you are spending more than a day or two in Cairo. The venue gives a different view of the city from the museum-and-monument circuit: younger, informal, and very local. Some events are mostly in Arabic, but music nights and visual arts are easy enough to enjoy even when you miss the finer points.