The autumn agenda is packed. Villages, town centres and even harbours are filling with cultural events, and every week more happenings are added to the list. Culture lovers are spoilt for choice! This week, a museum-boat is reaching Cyprus’ shores, bringing a series of concerts, exhibitions, performances and immersive experiences. Get ready for the travelling Art Explora Festival that will dock in Limassol for the first time!

From Saturday to November 4, this museum-boat will offer unique on-board cultural experiences at Limassol Marina (until November 2) and spread around the city centre with more events and experiences (until November 4).

Events will unfold across the city, from the Limassol Marina, Old Port Square and Molos to Rialto Theatre, the Limassol Municipal Arts Centre – Apothikes Papadaki, the Archaeological Museum, and through the streets of the historic centre in collaboration with Limassol Art Walks.

A number of unique experiences will take place on the boat itself, inviting the public to explore it. On the deck, an immersive audio journey will take visitors on a journey, designed by IRCAM and Ircam Amplify (Centre Pompidou, Paris). Titled A Mediterranean Soundscape, it is a sensorial exploration of the richness and diversity of the Mediterranean.

Inside the boat, Mediterranean Wonders will be featured, a virtual reality series developed with Ubisoft, allowing visitors to travel through time and space to discover Athens, Alexandria and Venice at the height of their splendour.

Then, spread around the city will be a series of performances. On the first day of the festival, an opening concert with the Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, Michalis Terlikkas and the Mousa Music Group, Kemal Deveci and Aziz Kahraman, Krista Papista with Jan Verwoert and Kanella Petropoulou and Stelios Petrakis & ensemble will take place at the Old Port Sqaure.

A live concert will also be held on Sunday at the same location by Savina Yannatou with Primavera en Salonico and Lamia Bedioui, and an opening act by Spivak. On November 1, live hip-hop, rock and electronic music will take place at the EKA Group garage, featuring underground talent from Limassol while on November 2, the Filipino community will present the music event Your Face Sounds Familiar.

DJ sets will add an upbeat mood around the city with DJ Koulla P Katsikoronou and DJ Harama performing after the opening concert on Saturday and on November 1 at the afterparty at Tapper Bar following the live concert of The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification.

Two performances will also be part of the festival. A 16-hour durational performance at Rialto Theatre titled 1953 by a series of artists and Evita Ioannou’s performance based on Diana Georgiou’s novel Other Reflexes (on October 27).

Cinephiles will get to enjoy daily open-air screenings on the seafront promenade from October 27 to November 1, a screening programme with new works by Phivos Philitas, Adonis Archontides and Androula Kafa on October 30 and a screening of Secret, a film by Demetris Kolokotronis and Stelios Ilchuk at the Archaeological Museum of Limassol on November 4.

That’s not all. Three walks are organised as well. Yiannis Papadakis and Ioanna Paraskevopoulou’s guided walk through Ayios Nicolaos cemetery on November 1 and 2, a sound walk and an interdisciplinary event by the Center of Performing Arts MITOS, curated by Elena Agathokleous on October 28 and Sevina Floridou’s guided walk through Limassol’s historic Fytidou orchard, now reopened to the public on October 26.

More talks, special performances and art initiatives will add to the festival’s rich agenda, spreading the creativity to every corner of Limassol’s centre. The full agenda can be found on www.artexplora.org/festival/ville/limassol

Art Explora Festival

Travelling festival reaches Cyprus. Museum and art activities on the boat and citywide events. October 25- November 4. Limassol. www.artexplora.org/festival/ville/limassol