A wave of autumn festivals is set to arrive with the new month, celebrating local culture and tradition, art, literature, dance, pop culture, medieval stories, films and wine. Could this be the busiest festival month yet?
Limassol Wine Festival: September 27-October 5
The historic Limassol Wine Festival is in its 62nd year. Running until October 5, the Limassol Municipal Gardens will showcase local winemakers and wineries, many of which need the support this year, given the devastating July wildfires. Apart from tasting and buying local wine, the festival’s programme has live music, dance performances, grape-stomping, photography exhibitions, market stalls, ceramic workshops and games for children, as well as activities that celebrate the grape harvest season.
www.limassol.org.cy/el/wine-festival
International Dance and Performance Open House Festival: October 2-5
Returning to Limassol for its 16th edition, this festival will fill the city with performances, walks and interventions that aim to reimagine our connection to the urban landscape. Artists from Cyprus and abroad will meet with audiences in art centres, theatres, municipal markets, streets and squares to offer unique performances that place body and movement at their core.
www.facebook.com/dancehousecyprus
Cyprus Comic Con 2025: October 3-5
Early October will also welcome back another iconic gathering – Cyprus Comic Con 2025. Pop culture, cosplay, invited artists, exhibitions, games, discussions and much more will go down at the Cyprus State Fair. Get ready for gaming tournaments, live performances, markets, and live pro wrestling. Special guests this year are Japanese rock sensation ЯeaL, who will mark the first-ever performance by a Japanese band in Cyprus, and Jason Paige, the singer of the original Pokémon theme song.
Wine and Gastronomy Festival Potamiou: October 5
Potamiou village in the Limassol district will celebrate the grape harvest season and local gastronomy with Cypriot delicacies such as trachanas, warm palouzes, themithotes, zivania and local wine. Apart from tastings, there will also be live music and dances by Chrisospiliotissa Defteras as well as a cycling wine route at 3.30pm, a village tour at 4.30pm and a mystery game at 5pm. For a more hands-on experience, check out the doll-making workshop, the lavender pouches workshop and the live cooking demonstrations.
Ayia Napa Medieval Festival: October 8-12
It has been happening for two decades now, yet Ayia Napa’s Medieval Festival still remains one of the town’s hidden gems. For five days and nights, the central square and its surrounding streets will fill with knights, folk dancers, street theatre, dragons, stilt-walkers and fire artists offering free entertainment for all.
Nicosia Book Fest: October 10-12
Also in a celebratory mood this October is a beloved book festival that marks its 10th anniversary. More than 80 stands from publishing houses, bookstores, cultural organisations and institutions will take part, sharing books, stationery and literary projects. Across the festival’s five stages and presentation areas at Acropolis Park, over 100 presentations and events will be held, ranging from discussions and theatrical readings to concerts, visual arts activities and creative workshops for both children and adults.
This year’s edition honours France as the Guest Country, through tributes, presentations and performances that showcase the richness of French literature and the bridges it builds with Cyprus and Europe. At the same time, Cypriot creativity holds a central place, with local authors and artists presenting new and original works.
Oeno Fest 2025: October 10-12
Organisers describe this three-day fiesta in the mountains as the “modern wine festival”. At Lofou primary school, you will be able to taste some of Cyprus’ finest local wines, enjoy live music, get crafty with ceramic and painting workshops, explore tradition through palouze-making, grape-stomping and shadow theatre and indulge in Cypriot food. A market area with handcrafted art and local products will also be on.
International Short Film Festival of Cyprus: October 11-17
Fiction films, documentaries, experimental, student creations and animation short films will be screened across the five days at Rialto Theatre, with both national and international competitions. A parallel programme series will also be announced shortly, along with the participating films and the screening agenda.
Mitsikouri International Performing Arts Festival for Children and Young People: October 11-19
A festival for children will travel around Cyprus, spreading the joy of performance art. Eleven productions will be presented in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Lefkara throughout one week, welcoming productions from around Europe. Dance, theatre, music, object theatre, and contemporary circus performances are coming up, many of them are non-verbal.
Larnaca Biennale: October 15-November 28
The fourth Larnaca Biennale has the theme Along Lines and Traces. From October 15 to November 28, Larnaca and the region will host exhibitions and parallel events by this year’s selected artists. Curated creative activities, workshops, installations and exhibitions will fill Larnaca’s agenda for six weeks. Artists from abroad and the island will come together for this bigger-than-ever event that puts the city on the global art map. The biennale has also invited two guest artists, Ann Tarantino and Steve Messam, to create special works in situ for the city. Parallel events include journaling and cyanotype workshops, creative writing workshops with acclaimed journalists, film screenings, live music, dance performances, open studios and guided tours.
Nicosia Bicycle Film Festival: October 19
A new festival for Cyprus, although it has been happening abroad since 2001. Co-organised by Nicosia Municipality and NGO OPU – Organisation for Positive Urbanism and part of the Nicosia International Festival, this one-day event will present cinema screenings at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre and the Municipal Gardens on the topic of sustainable mobility. Music, bike shops, a bike school for children, workshops by CYENS and discussions on safe cycling and moving around the city will take place.
Halloween Family Festival 2025: October 25-26
CyHerbia will put on its iconic fall festival with witches, magicians, ghosts, pumpkins and mad scientists coming to life with a series of crafty workshops, experience corners and interactive games that all ages can enjoy and get into the Halloween feeling.
Pame Kaimakli – Oikeiotopia: October 25-26
Closing October’s packed festival agenda is the neighbourhood festival Pame Kaimakli. This year’s theme is Oikeiotopia, meaning ‘a place of belonging’, and as such, its events, workshops, performances and installations will explore the familiar boundaries between people, spatial environments and the social fabric with the old neighbourhood of Kaimakli front and centre.
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