Limassol to decide Thursday on whether to hold wine festival

The Limassol municipality will make a final decision on Thursday on whether and when to hold the city’s wine festival, according to Mayor Nicos Nicolaides.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency on Tuesday, Nicolaides said he met the Health Minster Michalis Hadjipantelas on Monday. During the meeting they discussed the possibility of holding the festival from October 8 to 17. It will be the 60th anniversary of the landmark event in Limassol.

Last year’s festival was cancelled due to the pandemic, with the municipality instead organising a series of events in September on the topic of wine, folk tradition and traditional music.

“Our intention this year is to go ahead and organise the festival, but within the framework of the current measures and having in mind the country’s epidemiological data, which can change suddenly,” Nicolaides said.

“We have put some issues concerning the event before the minister and we expect him to send us guidelines for us to follow so that the festival can take place. The municipality will announce its final decision on the topic on Thursday.”

Asked if there is a possibility that this year’s event could also be cancelled, Nicolaides replied that everyone involved in planning the wine festival “is working extremely hard to make it work in accordance with the current situation.”

Early reports after the meeting suggest that only vaccinated people will be allowed to enter the festival’s premises. However, no official statements were released on the subject yet.