Afrobanana to be held in Lefkara, after Dali controversy

The Afrobanana music festival will be held in Lefkara in mid-July, the organisers said in an announcement on Wednesday.

Following the refusal to hold the festival in an area near Dali, the organisers released a statement saying that it will be held in Lefkara from July 13-16, 2023.

As mentioned in a previous announcement, despite the obstacles and difficulties it has faced, the AfroBanana music festival continues to operate with both environmental protection and nature conservation in mind, as well as conducting public consultation and securing the consent of local society.

On Tuesday, the organisers said: “Due to the social character of the festival, we find it necessary that the festival is welcomed by the community hosting it.”

As such, despite the environmental suitability of the site and the compatibility with the land, the spirit of the festival would not be in line with the hostility that has met the event in Dali, AfroBana added.

Last week, Dali residents complained the planned hosting of the AfroBanana festival would impact local wildlife, citing risks to a species of spider that has not been found anywhere else in the world.

The organisers hit back stressing the very essence of the festival is in line with respect to the environment, citing the findings of an independent expert, they claim did not have any concerns to raise.

Earlier in the month, Afrobanana festival issued an urgent call for support, saying they had been repeatedly denied a licence from the authorities to host their event at various locations this summer.