From Cairo to Gaza: Palestine Music Expo
Tuesday 3rd February, 2026 at 6pm (UK)
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Palestinian music is facing systematic erasure. Musicians have lost instruments, homes, networks and sometimes families. Cultural infrastructure built over decades has been destroyed. Living conditions make creating music a luxury many can’t afford.

Yet through music, Palestinians assert their presence and resilience. They process trauma, maintain identity, resist erasure and imagine futures that feel impossible right now.

Palestine Music Expo (PMX) has been supporting Palestinian musicians since 2017. Since that time they have:

— presented over 80 artists internationally
— facilitated more than 15 tours
— helped secure five major record deals
— connected more than 150 global music industry delegates with Palestinian talent
— organised five festivals in Gaza for 18,000 children and their families, creating real moments of joy under siege.

When war began in October 2023, PMX became more than a showcase — it became a lifeline. 

Yet through music, Palestinians assert their presence and resilience. They process trauma, maintain identity, resist erasure and imagine futures that feel impossible right now. 

About the webinar

The webinar will start by looking back on the music scene in Gaza before October 2023 and the work of PMX there before focusing on the situation faced by those who escaped to Egypt from Gaza during the genocide: the difficulties and challenges they face, the massive uncertainty over what tomorrow holds and the work Ahmed set up with musicians and community groups.

We will then look at the hopes and aspirations for PMX and the importance of supporting and promoting the Palestine music scene.

About our guests
Ahmed Saqer

Ahmed Saqer (pictured above) has been Palestine Music Expo’s Gaza-based coordinator since 2019 and is now PMX’s Director in the UK. When war began in October 2023, Ahmed was displaced from Gaza and worked as a volunteer from Cairo, delivering extraordinary impact while displaced himself. He supported over 100 musicians, replaced instruments destroyed in bombings, ran music therapy sessions and organised five children’s arts festivals in Gaza for thousands of families, creating moments of joy under siege.

Ahmed continues to lead PMX’s work supporting Palestinian musicians, promoting the Palestine music scene internationally and building vital cultural connections that resist erasure.

Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams is the CEO of IMPEL, a collective of independent music publishers who license digital services. She is also an independent music lawyer. Over her career, her wide range of interests and focus on the bigger picture have led into the fields of politics, conflict resolution and the non-profit sector.

Sarah is part of the management of Palestine Music Expo (PMX), an organisation of Palestinians and internationals who have run three highly successful music expos in Ramallah in the West Bank. PMX’s goal is to connect the Palestinian music scene with the international music scene and to support Palestinian musical culture through the development of an authentic, locally-owned and sustainable Palestinian music industry.

She is also an adviser to EarthPercent, a charity that helps artists and music-related organisations pledge a small percentage of their income to climate causes. 100% of the funds raised from artists, companies and brands is paid out in grants to some of the most impactful organisations working in climate justice, legal and policy change, protecting nature, Just Energy Transition and greening the music industry.

To make a donation to PMX, please visit their JustGiving page.