Larnaca launches bid for European Capital of Culture 2030

The whole town of Larnaca has joined forces in an ambitious effort to be named European Capital of Culture 2030, mayor Andreas Vyras said on Sunday.

He said those who had come together included the business community, municipality, educational community, artists and cultural institutions, and civil society.

The bid mentions that Larnaca is the most ancient city in Cyprus and has been continuously inhabited for over 4,000 years.

Moreover, the city has been shaped by its long history and its status as a unique crossroads of multiple cultures: Mediterranean, Western and Eastern, endowing it with a rich heritage geographically, culturally and architecturally.

Work on the bid began in October 2022, Larnaca 2030 chairman Dinos Lefkaritis said, and its first act was bringing on board staff who could achieve the goal.

Executive Director Spyros Pisinos had previously been artistic director for Paphos which was named as European Capital of Culture in 2017, while artistic director Kelly Diapouli had prepared the proposal for Elefsina in Greece, the EU Capital of Culture in 2021.