Zamna Festival Returns to Sharm El Sheikh on 20 November

EXPATS & NOMADS · SHARM EL SHEIKH

Zamna, the electronic music festival brand that marks ten years of its Tulum season in Mexico this winter, returns to Egypt’s Red Sea coast for a second edition in a desert valley outside Sharm El Sheikh.

Zamna Sharm El Sheikh 2026 takes place from Friday 20 November to Sunday 22 November in Khoroum Valley, a natural sandstone amphitheatre in the mountains of South Sinai. CamelPhat, John Digweed, Sasha, Marco Carola and Mind Against are on the confirmed line-up, and three-day passes start at US$275, priced in dollars by the organiser.

For a US traveller the practical questions are flights, the visa on arrival and the security picture in Sinai. Each is answered below from the organiser, the venue and the US State Department.

What Zamna Is and Why Sharm Matters

Zamna is celebrating ten years of its Tulum season in Mexico with a ten-day run from 31 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, and it now runs a calendar of events around the world. Its own listings for the coming months include Hawaii on 13 November, Montreal on 21 November, Lima on 12 December and a Tulum season that opens on New Year’s Eve.

Sharm El Sheikh is the only Egyptian date on that calendar.

The festival made its debut at Khoroum Valley in 2025. The venue bills the 2026 event as Edition II and the organiser promises a larger production.

The organiser’s text puts it plainly: “More artists. More production. More moments that bring the valley to life.”

The venue says the full line-up is confirmed and lists it alphabetically, without a billing order. The names are:

• CamelPhat, John Digweed, Sasha and Marco Carola.
• Mind Against, Shimza, Korolova, Mëstiza, Elvis Guetta and Brina Knauss.
• ASAL, MRAK, GORDO and ZSS.

The venue says special guests are still to be announced. The venue’s tagline is “from daylight to first light”, but it has not published closing times.

Shakira also plays the Giza Pyramids later in November; our guide Shakira Plays Egypt’s Giza Pyramids on 28 November covers that show for travellers planning a longer trip to Egypt.

Tickets, Prices and What Each Pass Includes

The official Zamna Festival site and the Khoroum Valley site list the same three tiers. All are personalised, valid for all three days and strictly non-refundable.

• General admission, Wave 2: US$275. Entry to the general festival areas, bars and facilities. No VIP access.
• VIP Standing, Wave 2: US$425. VIP standing areas plus the general zones, with VIP bars, lounges and premium restrooms.
• Backstage Standing: US$800. Backstage standing access plus the VIP and general areas.

The venue says every price includes Egypt’s 14% value added tax. The organiser labels the current passes Tier 2 and calls the VIP price an early bird price; it has not said what later tiers will cost.

VIP tables are handled separately by direct contact with the venue.

The venue names its own ticket shop and the XCEED app as sales channels. Tickets are personalised, so buy only through those official channels.

The Venue and How to Get There

Khoroum Valley sits in the mountains behind Sharm El Sheikh, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The venue puts it about 15 minutes from the town and about 15 minutes from Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH).

A continuous shuttle from Sharm El Sheikh is included with every ticket, according to the venue.

The venue lists direct flights to SSH from London, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, Cairo and Dubai, so a traveller from the United States will connect through one of those cities. Check current airline schedules before booking.

The venue has partner hotels. It lists packages with Sunrise Resorts properties (White Hills, Meraki SSH, Montemare Resort, Arabian Beach, Diamond Beach, Remal Beach and Remal Resort), bookable for 20 to 23 November, as well as the Concorde El Salam Hotel.

Package prices were not shown when we checked.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

Passport and visa. The US State Department says a US passport must be valid for six months on arrival in Egypt, with at least one blank page. US citizens need a visa but can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival.

At entry points other than Cairo airport, which includes Sharm, the department lists a fee of US$30 payable in exact change in US dollar cash. It names Egypt’s official e-visa portal as the only official online source, so avoid third-party visa sites.

Security. The State Department rates Egypt at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution” (advisory issued 15 July 2025). Northern and Middle Sinai are Level 4, “Do not travel”.

For Southern Sinai the advice is to be cautious and check the news. US government employees may travel only to Sharm El Sheikh and nearby areas along the Red Sea coast, and embassy staff may not drive private vehicles anywhere in Sinai.

Do not travel on into North or Middle Sinai. Health. The State Department describes hospitals in Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor and Aswan as good but inadequate at most other ports of call.

Money. Tickets are priced in US dollars, so there is no currency risk on the pass itself. The State Department says bringing more than US$10,000 into or out of Egypt is illegal and the excess may be seized, so do not carry large amounts of cash.

For a city stop on the way in or out, our guide What to Do in Cairo in October 2026 covers the capital’s museums and neighbourhoods.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The organiser has published the opening time for Friday, 8:30 p.m., but no set times, daily closing times or running order. The special guests the venue mentions have not been named.

Package prices at the partner hotels were not displayed. Neither site states what later ticket tiers will cost.

Nothing published by the organiser or the venue suggests any change to Zamna’s dates, but anyone flying in from the United States should check the official channels and the State Department advisory in the week before travel, and book flexible flights where possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Zamna Sharm El Sheikh 2026?

From Friday 20 November to Sunday 22 November 2026 at Khoroum Valley, about 15 minutes from Sharm El Sheikh in South Sinai, Egypt. The organiser lists the opening night at 8:30 p.m. local time.

How much are Zamna Sharm El Sheikh tickets?

Three-day general admission costs US$275, VIP Standing US$425 and Backstage Standing US$800, including Egypt’s 14% VAT. Tickets are personalised, non-refundable and sold through the official Zamna and Khoroum Valley sites.

Do US citizens need a visa for Sharm El Sheikh?

Yes. The US State Department says US citizens can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival, listing US$30 in exact US dollar cash at entry points other than Cairo airport, and a passport valid for six months.

Sources: Zamna Festival, Zamna Sharm El-Sheikh event page; Zamna Festival events calendar; Khoroum Valley, Zamna Sharm 2026; US State Department, Egypt country information; US State Department, Egypt travel advisory. All checked 12 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief