What’s On this weekend

Eleni Philippou looks at the events coming from Friday onwards

Mid-September is already here and before you know it, autumnal activities will take over the island. With more sunny days coming though, the island’s cultural agenda is brimming with festivals, celebrations and diverse events. Coming up this weekend is a range of annual festivals putting dance, automobiles and queer cinema in the spotlight, as well as plenty of live music.

From Friday to Monday, Larnaca will welcome the 16^th edition of the Mediterranean Folklore Dance, Choirs and Band Festival. Around town, dozens of ensembles from the region have been selected to perform. Five hundred choristers will sing traditional songs while 400 dancers, philharmonic orchestras and majorettes perform live. This year the festival will welcome folk dance groups and choirs from Slovenia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Armenia, Georgia, Pontus, Epirus and Kozani as well as 18 groups from Cyprus. Parades and concerts along Finikoudes Avenue and performances in Saint Lazaros and Ermou squares will take place across the four days of the festival.

Also happening this weekend is the 4^th Limassol Motion Show in the heart of town. The Limassol Marina will host the two-day event on Saturday and Sunday (as part of European Mobility Week) featuring a massive automobile exhibition which will include cars, boats, motorcycles and all sorts of wheeled transport. Fourteen exhibitors will showcase the industry’s latest models and gadgets while music and live demonstrations are on. Entrance is free and on Saturday, the event will run from 4pm to 9pm while on Sunday doors will be open from 10am to 8pm.

Concluding this weekend is the 4^th Queer Wave festival which has been on in Nicosia since September 8. Taking place mainly at the State Gallery of Contemporary Art – SPEL, the festival has been hosting screenings, discussion panels and parallel events. Four queer film screenings will take place this weekend. The films Passion and Fierce: A Porn Revolution will take place on Saturday night at 7pm and 9pm, while 100 Ways to Cross the Border and Close will be screened on Sunday. Post-screenings, a live music performance will take place with numerous local artists discovering Cypriot sounds between the two main communities of the island.

The live music scene is also buzzing this weekend. On Friday, Pattihio Limassol Municipal Theatre will welcome the world-renowned virtuoso guitarist, composer and producer Hernan Romero for a unique concert. Hailing from Argentina and the US, Romero will bring Latin and Spanish-infused rhythms to Limassol, accompanied by four talented local musicians and Tango dancers.

On the following evening, the Pharos Arts Foundation will present an exciting jazz concert at The Olive Grove, featuring the multi-award-winning Daahoud Salim Quintet. Finally, on Sunday, Trio Rondine will return to Technopolis 20 in Paphos for a very Mediterranean performance.

16th Mediterranean Folklore Dance, Choir and Band Festival

4-day festival with invited dance and music ensembles from Cyprus and abroad. September 15-18. Sea Front stage of Finikoudes, Larnaca. 8pm. [email protected]. Facebook page: @16thMediterraneanFolkloreDanceFestival

Limassol Motion Show

Two-day event for the automobile world. September 16-17. Limassol Marina, Limassol. www.limassolmotionevent.com

4th Queer Wave

Cyprus’ LGBTQIA+ film festival. Until September 17. Sessions X State Gallery of Contemporary Art – SPEL, Nicosia. www.queerwave.com