Starlight Festival, the new venture from EXIT and Venture Lifestyle’s P+US platform, successfully sold out its debut edition against the iconic backdrop of the Great Pyramids of Giza earlier this month. The event marked a historic milestone as the first multi-day, multi-stage electronic music festival ever staged at the site, with organizers reporting an impressive turnout of fans from 114 countries.
Held October 9-10 at a site overlooking the pyramids, Starlight became the largest electronic music gathering at Giza since Jean-Michel Jarre’s millennium concert in 1999. This achievement is particularly significant given the location’s status as the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World.
For the EXIT team, the launch carries profound strategic weight. The Serbian festival, traditionally anchored at Novi Sad’s Petrovaradin Fortress, transitioned into an international touring model following its public support for student-led protests in Serbia. Starlight served as the definitive capstone of this tour, establishing a new, prestigious flagship location for the brand.
Charlotte de Witte headlined the event with her first-ever performance in Egypt, leading a star-studded lineup that included Michael Bibi, Adriatique, Indira Paganotto, Enrico Sangiuliano, Vintage Culture, Pete Tong, and WhoMadeWho. In total, more than 60 international and regional artists performed across the festival’s stages throughout the weekend.
The visual production, managed by the renowned multimedia design studio Sila Sveta, set a new industry benchmark. By utilizing advanced optical illusions, the main stage light show created the appearance of the pyramids floating above the audience, a design feat that has already garnered significant acclaim.
Beyond the main stage, EXIT’s No Sleep stage hosted a vibrant array of talent, including Charlie Sparks, BIIA, Layla Benitez, Paolo Ferrara, and Olympe. The weekend also featured standout live performances from WhoMadeWho and Satori, with Gioli & Assia closing out the festivities in Cairo on Sunday.
The international demographic of the attendees transformed the event into a full-scale cultural experience. Artists were equally immersed in the location, with Michael Bibi and Charlotte de Witte taking time to explore the region, from camel rides to local culinary experiences. Indira Paganotto, fresh off her residency in Ibiza, extended her stay to experience the Nile and the pyramids from the air.
Starlight Festival is confirmed to return on November 5-6, 2027, with pre-registration currently open via the official festival website.
