PodFest Cairo 2025 celebrates six years of community, creativity and conversation

PodFest Cairo 2025 was held on Tuesday, 6 May at the American University in Cairo’s (AUC) Tahrir campus in the iconic Oriental Hall. This sixth edition marked a continued celebration of podcasting culture in Egypt and the region by offering an evening of panels, curated listening sessions and networking.

Hosted by AUC’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (JRMC), the event welcomed students, media professionals, independent podcasters and curious listeners from across greater Cairo.

Highlights included:

• A panel on video podcasting, with creators Rawan Ezzat (Tafaseel Media) and Amira
• Salah-Ahmed (Womena and Sage Takes Thyme Podcast) sharing how visual storytelling is reshaping the medium.
• Two listening sessions that spotlighted award-winning student work, showcasing themes from the Egyptian revolution to sonic memoir, the future of journalism in Egypt and cultural critique.
• A conversation on podcasting trends in the Middle East with Basant Samhout (Sowt Media) and Nour Ibrahim (AUC Venture Lab), offering perspective on what’s next for the regional industry.
• An industry-focused panel featuring Heba Afify (Nuwah Media Consultancy) and Karim Wassim (PodMedia Network), who discussed innovations in podcast production infrastructure, consulting and entrepreneurship.

Guests enjoyed a relaxed networking session over refreshments, building new connections and collaborations across the growing podcast community.

PodFest Cairo Founder and Organizer Kim Fox reflected on the success of the evening, saying: “I’m always energized by how much this community brings to PodFest Cairo each year. We’re proud to create a space that uplifts independent creators and industry leaders—all in one room.”

PodFest Cairo continues to offer a platform for creators working in both English and Arabic to exchange ideas and shape the future of audio storytelling.