Nicosia Municipality organises another edition of Summer Nights, bringing to the capital city cultural performances, live music, literature readings and theatre evenings all summer long. Activating different locations in central Nicosia, free cultural evenings will be held in squares, neighbourhoods, local hubs and parks in the municipalities of Nicosia, Engomi, Agios Dhometios and Aglandjia from July to September, transforming the city into a vast cultural map.

Following an open call, a selection of performances has been decided, featuring local musicians from different art genres. On Tuesday, July 1, at Eleftheria Square’s open-air theatre, the writer’s group Diavaseis will present an evening of literary readings at 8pm accompanied by music, in collaboration with Cypriot poets and prose writers.

On July 3, Rafael Zinos and Giorgos Grigoriou will fill Ledras and Onasagorou streets with rock rhythms at 8pm while on July 11, the InPhase duo, will blend violin sounds with the electronic textures of the Mallet Station. Their performance will take place at Spyridaki Square on Makariou Avenue at 7pm.

A musical voyage through flamenco, rumba, Middle Eastern tones, Greek melodies and bossa nova will follow on July 14 with the band Rumba Attack, which will take over the upper-level bridge of Eleftheria Square.

Then it will be time for Laiko music and rembetiko songs to fill Pallouriotissa Square as the band Exarchontes celebrate timeless Greek songs on July 18. More music will continue the festival’s programme as A² (Andreas Klark & Andreas Andreou) perform Greek rock and pop songs in Aglandjia’s square on the guitar on July 22 and September 2 (Agios Dhometios square).

For more post-bop jazz sounds, with a curious blend of traditional and modern elements, head to the Agogo Trio’s performance on July 29 at Engomi’s Michalakis Zivanaris Park. July’s final performances will revive traditional songs from Cyprus, the Aegean Islands and Smyrna. The Emeis kai i Paradosi ensemble will perform at the Byzantine chapel in Agios Dhometios on July 31.

August’s agenda will continue with the musical-theatrical performance Ekeines by RembeLions which sheds light on true stories of Cypriot women through rembetiko music, humour and emotion (Phaneromeni Square on August 7).

Other performances include Greek jazz and swing by the Chara Miller Jazz Trio on August 26, live singalong rhythms by the Street Musicians on August 28, traditional sounds from Asia Minor, Cyprus and beyond on September 5, an interactive educational ventriloquism concert for children on September 6, Cypriot fairy tales on September 13 and a group performance by municipal choirs on September 27 in Phaneromeni Square for a harmonious festival finale.

Summer Nights 2025

Live music, theatre, poetry and more by local artists. July 1-September 27. Throughout Nicosia. Free entrance. Full programme at www.nicosia.org.cy