Where the City Gathers After Dark
By late afternoon on the observed holiday, the Corniche is already filling. Families spread blankets on the sea wall, vendors push carts of roasted sweet potato and corn through the crowd, and the smell of chickpeas and frying oil drifts up from the side streets. This is Alexandria's Revolution Day and National Police Day — a national public holiday, and one of the biggest days on the Egyptian calendar. The city marks it the way it marks everything: outdoors, by the water, in numbers.
Walk the Corniche and the Old Squares
- Time your walk for the golden hour, when the Mediterranean turns copper and the whole seafront becomes a promenade. The Corniche runs the length of the city, and on a holiday it belongs to pedestrians.
- Head inland to the squares and public spaces where crowds typically gather on national holidays. Expect flags, music, and improvised street parties rather than a single ticketed event.
- Keep an eye on the local press and municipal announcements in the days before — public celebrations, concerts and fireworks for national holidays are usually confirmed close to the date, and the programme shifts from year to year.
Eat What the Season Gives You
- Winter is citrus season in Egypt, so look for fresh orange and tangerine juice pressed at street stalls along the Corniche.
- Cold-weather street food is at its best now: roasted sweet potato pulled steaming from the cart, boiled corn, and ful and ta'meya from the small shops that stay open late.
- Seafood is Alexandria's signature — the city's fish restaurants near the harbour and the old quarters are where you should plan your main meal.
Know What the Date Actually Is
Revolution Day and National Police Day is fixed to 25 January, but the observed public holiday does not always fall on that date. In the official holiday listing for the surrounding year, the January 25 holiday is observed on Thursday 29 January, with Coptic Christmas falling on Wednesday 7 January. Check the confirmed holiday calendar before you book travel, since the observed day is what determines when offices, banks and some businesses close — and when the crowds turn out.
Make a Day Trip of It
With a full day off, use the morning for the city's older layers before the afternoon crowds build: the Graeco-Roman sites and the catacombs reward an early start, and the libraries and museums of the modern city fill the middle of the day. Save the evening for the water. Alexandria's holiday rhythm is simple — monuments by daylight, Corniche by dusk.
Book your winter flights early, confirm the observed holiday date against the official calendar, and plan to be outside on the evening of the 29th. The city does the rest.