Sound and light show 2026

Is there a sound and light show at Abu Simbel in 2026?

Yes. The show is listed and bookable for 2026 on the site of its operator, the Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development.

The same company runs the evening shows at the Giza Pyramids, Karnak, Philae, Edfu and the Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria. Abu Simbel's show was added in 2000, according to Egypt Independent. It lasts about an hour.

It is the only evening visit at Abu Simbel. The temples themselves have their last entry at 4pm, and the show takes place in front of the facades, with the audience seated outside.

What time is the Abu Simbel sound and light show?

At 7pm and 8pm, every day of the week, on the operator's 2026 schedule. The operator adds that dates are subject to change.

The weekly schedule on the operator's Abu Simbel page lists both shows for every evening, each marked "All language". Older travel blogs give 6:30pm and 7:30pm; those times are out of date or seasonal, so go by the operator's schedule and check it again in the week you travel.

How much does the Abu Simbel sound and light show cost?

USD 20 per adult and USD 11 for a child aged 6 to 12, on the operator's site in 2026. Prices are in US dollars, not Egyptian pounds.

The show is a separate ticket from the temples. Your daytime entry ticket (EGP 822 for a foreign adult in 2026) does not include it, and the show ticket does not include a daytime visit.

Read the terms before you pay. The operator's cancellation policy says show tickets are non-refundable; you can reschedule once to another time or venue if you ask at least 24 hours before the show. A no-show gets no change and no refund.

Does the show run if only a few people book?

Not always. The operator's rule is that the first show needs a minimum of 50 Egyptians or 10 foreigners. A second show runs if the first is full, again with at least 10 tourists.

On a busy winter evening that is no problem. On a quiet summer night it can be. Book ahead on the operator's site, and ask at your hotel on the day whether the show is going ahead.

You choose your language: the schedule lists every slot as "All language", and Egypt Independent has described headsets with simultaneous translation at Abu Simbel. Check the language when you book.

How do you see the sound and light show on a trip from Aswan?

Stay overnight in Abu Simbel. Day trips from Aswan leave the temples around midday, tourist vehicles travel the desert road in daylight, and the show starts after dark.

Abu Simbel is about 280 to 300 km from Aswan, about 3.5 hours each way, and the last flights back to Aswan leave in the late morning or early afternoon on the 2026 schedules. An evening show and a same-day return do not fit together.

• Two days from Aswan. The 2-day private tour includes the temples with a guide, a felucca ride at 5pm, dinner and a night in an Abu Simbel hotel. The show is not listed in what the tour includes, so book it yourself for that evening. Fleur, in Jan 2024: "We also did the Sound & Light show there, highly recommended."
• Your own hotel night. The Seti Abu Simbel Lake Resort and the Eskaleh Nubian Ecolodge are both near the lake and the temples.
• A Lake Nasser cruise. Ships such as the MS Eugenie list the show as an optional extra on their Abu Simbel stop.

A night there also gives you the temples at 6am, before most road tours arrive. Our best time to visit guide covers the hours and the heat.

Two private days from Aswan with the entrance fees, a guide, a felucca ride, dinner and a night in Abu Simbel: the simple way to fit in the evening show.

★ 4.8 · 2 days · from $300

Explore the 2-day tour with a night in Abu Simbel → Tour details

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