SHAPE+ x JellyZone’s Magalaat “Scatter”

In 2025, the SHAPE+ platform for innovative music and interdisciplinary art, co-funded by the European Union and Pro Helvetia, will have 5 showcases outside of the EU.

First three of these have been announced: Indonesian festival Jogja Noise Bombing (9 – 11 May), Cairo’s innovative party series Jellyzone (22 May) and London’s experimental music venue Cafe OTO (16 June).

Two more showcases are coming in June, so keep an eye out for further announcements!

JellyZone: Magalaat (22.05.2025)

Cairo, Egypt

SHAPE+ line-up of the event:

alys(alys)alys (BR/DE)

Assyouti (EG/DE)

Fujita Pinnacle (SI)

Magalaat [“Fields” in Arabic] is a JellyZone series launched in November 2024, created to spark dialogue between Cairo’s underground scene and artists from other underrepresented regions. Each edition dives into the cultural and sonic threads connecting Egypt to the broader Global South, as well as Slavic and Balkan communities, highlighting shared stories, rhythms, and tensions that shape alternative music cultures worldwide.

The series kicked off with a Peruvian spotlight in its first edition, followed by a Moroccan showcase in February, each one bridging Cairo with parallel sonic worlds through curated lineups, immersive settings, and intentional crowd energy. With Magalaat, we aim to reflect the city’s layered identity and position it as a point of connection, not isolation.

In this special edition, rather than focusing on a single country, Magalaat 3.3 will be shifting gears with a special cross-cultural edition that brings together 3 SHAPE+ artists representing 3 different continents. Their sonic identities are rooted in place, yet reshaped by the shared spaces of the internet, where genres melt, and rhythms distort and evolve.

VENUE

Set in a mini football field by the Nile, our choice of venue reflects our instinct to adapt and transform. From wedding halls to rooftop corners, desert camps hidden in the heart of the city, and riverside gardens; we’ve always found ways to shape space into something our own.

In a city where underground venues are fading, and gentrification makes it harder for independent communities to thrive, we lean into the outdoors; not just for freedom of space, but for freedom of spirit.

At JellyZone, each party is more than just an event, it’s a statement. A celebration of our right to move, connect, and exist on our own terms. We’ve always focused on shaping spaces that amplify the energy and essence of each gathering, offering a fleeting but powerful escape within Cairo’s ever-shifting landscape.