Nicosia, Cyprus. A range of festivals and cultural events are scheduled to take place across Cyprus in the coming months, spanning winter swimming, village celebrations, carnival, poetry, film and contemporary art.
Ayia Napa Winter Swimmers Festival
The International Ayia Napa Winter Swimmers Festival is holding its third edition this weekend and will run until Tuesday. The main programme is set for Sunday and includes a winter sea swim, a sand art competition, tai chi and yoga classes, and a SUP exhibition. On Monday, participants will go on an excursion, while Tuesday’s agenda includes another sea swim, brunch and a visit to the Thalassa Museum.
Mandarin Festival in Arakapas
Arakapas village in the Limassol district will hold the 3rd Mandarin Festival on February 1 at the village square. The programme includes live music, workshops, market stalls and mandarin-themed flavours.
Almond Blossoms Festival in Giolou
Giolou village will host the 7th Almond Blossoms Festival on February 15, starting at 11am at the village square. The event is set to include tradition-focused activities, village excursions and local tastes.
Limassol Carnival Week
Limassol Carnival Week is scheduled for February 12 to 22, featuring street parties, Crazy Mask competitions and choir-singing. The programme includes three parades, beginning on February 12, Tsiknopempti, when the Carnival Queen will open the celebrations on Anexartisias Avenue, followed by a parade with percussion bands, majorettes and dancers. An evening parade will take place on February 19 through the old town streets, ahead of the main Sunday parade on February 22, expected to begin around noon.
Dierona Mandarin Festival
The 6th Dierona Mandarin Festival will take place on March 1 and will include eating, drinking and dancing. Singers Stefanos Pelekanis and Areti Ketimi are scheduled to perform.
International Poetry Slam Cyprus
The 9th International Poetry Slam Cyprus will be held in Nicosia from March 8 to 10 at ARTos House. Slam poets from abroad and Cyprus-based poets will compete over two days, performing in several languages. Registration for performers is open until February 24.
Cyprus Film Days
Cyprus Film Days will run from April 17 to 25 in Limassol and Nicosia. The festival has appointed Petros Charalambous as a new artistic director, joining the festival’s already-acting artistic director, Argyro Nicolaou. The festival’s programme is set to feature acclaimed and emerging directors from Cyprus and around the world, focusing on contemporary social, political and artistic issues.
Vima Art Fair
Vima Art Fair will hold its second edition on May 15 to 17, with a focus on contemporary art in Cyprus. The curator is London-based Greek curator Kostas Stasinopoulos, who will lead the Curatorial Project with an exhibition and a live programme alongside the fair. About 30 galleries from Cyprus and abroad have been invited to participate. The fair will also launch the Vima Circle, a new initiative focused on cultural discovery in Cyprus and the Mediterranean.
Which of these upcoming events in Cyprus do you plan to attend?
