Dead bodies have political life (Verdery 1999) and are often being staged to legitimate political power. The celebration of losses facilitates the circulation of emotions which in turn shapes collective identities and feelings of belonging. Surprisingly, until recently, the commemoration for the “martyrs of the nation” (shuhada’ al-watan) in Egypt – mainly fighters for independence and soldiers who died in wars against Israel – were not an occasion for staging and popular celebrations, unlike military victories such as the October 1973 War (Bildt 2015). Martyr’s Day was soberly commemorated by officials laying a wreath of flowers over the tomb of the unknown soldier. Recently, however, the “martyrs of the nation” have been turned into a central component of the post-revolutionary regime’s stagecrafting to regain control over collective mourning after the irruption of the martyrs of the January 25th Revolution on the political stage (Mittermaier 2015, Armbrust 2019). Martyr’s Day is now a commemoration mainly dedicated to what are nowadays called the “martyrs of duty”(shuhada’ al-wagib)- soldiers and policemen falling in the state-led “war on terrorism” -,broadcasted live from a theater and bringing together the President and martyrs’ families in a highly emotional performance. Simultaneously, the martyrs of duty became the heroes of a successful TV series co-financed by the intelligence services and their names are being attributed to many schools, streets as well as to many new bridges and roads. Promotional videos released for Martyr’s Day articulate the martyrs’ sacrifice with the mega projects presented as part of the State development plan, suggesting that the martyrs’ sacrifice enabled the country’s future to happen. What are the narratives underlying the staging of the martyrs’ sacrifice? What kind of rule is being performed through this stagecraft? What collective futures are being projected through these ongoing losses? In addition to an analysis of Martyr’s Day commemorations (as well as video clips diffused for the celebration, reportages etc.), this research is based on a mapping of the State’s projects renamed after martyrs as well as speeches diffused during public events (opening celebrations, infrastructures’ naming campaigns). This presentation focuses on the celebration of Martyr's Day as a symbolic and real "stage" for the state's dissemination of particularly affective narratives, and on the broader staging of martyrs' names in the public space as a means of exposing the martyrs’ sacrifices and encouraging citizens to adhere to state projects as a gesture to honor their sacrifice.