They say, there is no rest for the wicked. In Cyprus, there is no rest for cultural organisers!
As the calendar year unfolds, more and more events and cultural happenings are taking shape all around the island, filling our days with traditional festivals, the annual madness of the carnival, poetry slams, film festivals, art fairs and gatherings for entrepreneurs. Here’s what not to miss in Cyprus in the coming months.
Calling brave souls from Cyprus and beyond, the International Ayia Napa Winter Swimmers Festival is hosting its third edition this weekend and running until Tuesday. The biggest part of the 2026 agenda happens on Sunday with a winter sea swim, a sand art competition, tai chi and yoga classes and a SUP exhibition. On Monday, participants will head on an excursion, and on Tuesday the agenda includes another sea swim, brunch and a visit to Thalassa Museum.
As February arrives, Arakapas village in the district of Limassol celebrates seasonal citrus fruit. The 3rd Mandarin Festival will take place at the village square on February 1 with live music, workshops, market stalls and lots of mandarin-inspired flavours.
A few days later, Giolou village honours one more charm of the season – almond blossoms. On February 15, the 7th Almond Blossoms Festival will take place, starting at 11am at the village square. The day will be filled with tradition, Cypriot nature, village excursions and local tastes.
Towards the end of February, all eyes will turn to Limassol for its carnival celebration. Limassol Carnival Week will be held from February 12 to 22. Lots of street parties, Crazy Mask competitions and choir-singing will take over the city, yet its most popular events are its three parades. It all begins on February 12, Tsiknopempti, when the Carnival Queen kicks off the celebrations in a grand opening on Anexartisias Avenue, followed by a parade with percussion bands, majorettes and dancers.
Another evening parade will be held on February 19, with musicians and masquerade performers traversing through the old town streets before the big Sunday parade on February 22, which kicks off around noon.
That will be followed by another citrus festival, the 6th Dierona Mandarin Festival on March 1, which includes a day of eating, drinking and dancing. On the entertainment front, singers Stefanos Pelekanis and Areti Ketimi will perform in front of crowds on the day.
Offering a change of scenery and atmosphere is the 9th International Poetry Slam Cyprus in Nicosia on March 8-10. Invited slam poets from abroad and Cyprus-based poets will compete against each other in a two-day battle at ARTos House, performing in several languages. Registration for performers is open until February 24.
Then, it will be time for the cinema world to shine as Cyprus Film Days returns to Limassol and Nicosia on April 17 to 25. This year, the festival has a new artistic director, Petros Charalambous, who joins the festival’s already-acting artistic director, Argyro Nicolaou. Through a curated agenda, the duo will feature both acclaimed and emerging film directors from Cyprus and around the world that explore contemporary social, political and artistic issues.
In May, Vima Art Fair holds its second edition, dedicated to expanding the horizons of contemporary art in Cyprus. This year’s curator is the London-based, Greek curator Kostas Stasinopoulos, who will lead the Curatorial Project with an exhibition and an extensive live programme running alongside the fair on May 15-17. Some 30 galleries have been invited to participate, from Cyprus and beyond, while launching this year is the Vima Circle, a new initiative about cultural discovery in Cyprus and the Mediterranean to shape the future of art.
Last in spring’s festivals is the Doers Summit, which, up until 2025, was known as the Reflect Festival. Taking place at Kolla Factory on May 21 and 22, the event gathers entrepreneurs, tech gurus, start-ups, investors and speakers for two days of idea-sharing, networking, and learning, launching the business world into a new season.
From icy sea swims to big ideas and bold art, the months ahead offer plenty of exciting moments across Cyprus.
3rd International Ayia Napa Winter Swimmers Festival
Winter swimming, children’s sand art competition, cultural visits and more. January 17-20. Ayia Napa. www.ayianapawinterswimmers.cy
3rd Arakapas Mandarin Festival
Festival celebrating the citrus fruit with music, workshops and market stalls. February 1. Arakapas Central Square, Limassol district. 11am-7pm
Annual traditional festival. February 15. Giolou village, Paphos district. 11am. Tel: 26-632472
Limassol Carnival Week
Parades, exhibitions, street parties, performances and choir-singing. February 12-22. Throughout Limassol. www.limassol.org.cy
Traditional festival with live music and citrus creations. March 1. Dierona village, Limassol district. [email protected]
9th International Poetry Slam Cyprus 2026
Annual slam poetry competition for Cyprus-based and international poets. March 8,9,10. ARTos House, Nicosia. 7.30pm. In English and other languages. Tel: 99-577006, 99-678132. [email protected], [email protected]
Cyprus Film Days 2026
Annual film festival with features from Cyprus and the world. April 17-25. Nicosia and Limassol. www.cyprusfilmdays.com
2nd Vima Art Fair
International contemporary art fair with Cyprus and global galleries with exhibitions, talks, meetings and more. May 15-17. The Warehouse by IT Quarter, Limassol. www.vima.art
Doers Summit
Enterpreunership festival for start-ups, investors, speakers and beyond. May 21-22. Kolla Factory, Limassol. www.doerssummit.com
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