Larnaca to host its first jazz festival

A brand-new festival will join the events calendar in September as the Larnaca Municipality organises the first Larnaca Jazz Festival. Over two days, a handful of the island’s jazz musicians will perform live, and for free, at Zouhouri Square, marking this new beginning.

The festival will take place on September 7 and 8 and comes together under the creative direction of Akis Farmakalides. Four six-piece bands with acclaimed names from the Cypriot jazz scene have been selected to perform at this first edition, two on each night. Opening the festival at 8.30pm is the Ioanna Troullidou sextet with Troullidou, Christos Yerolatsitis, Ireneos Koulouras, Stelios Xydas, Giorgos Krasides and Michalis Michael on stage. The second act of day one will be the Jazz Friends ensemble made up of Christina Argyri, Marios Toumbas, Michalis Messios, Ioannis Vafeas, Elias Ioannou and Iacovos Parpas.

The second evening will begin with the Steppin’ out Jazz Band with special guests the saxophonists Charis Ioannou and Marios Stakides. Then to conclude the festival, the Latin jazz band Macumba will take the stage for a final and lively performance, joined by Vasilis Charalambous on percussion and Andreas Theocharous on the trombone. Along with the free entrance, listeners will be treated to free beer as well throughout the event to accompany the jazz tunes.

1^st Larnaca Jazz Festival

Two-day jazz festival. September 7-8. Zouhouri Square, Larnaca. 8.30pm. Free. Tel: 24-653333