Kyrenia mayor Akis Violaris has called on the government to intervene over the planned Nexus electronic music festival at Kyrenia Castle, saying on Friday that the participation of European artists at the event was a cause for concern.

“We are saddened by the fact that European artists are participating in this festival,” Violaris remarked, calling on the government to act to prevent the event from taking place at the historic castle.

He described the venue as “a monument of historical and cultural heritage of our country” and urged the government to intervene “dynamically” to seek the cancellation of the event.

The foreign ministry is handling the matter through diplomatic channels, according to a source at the deputy cultural ministry cited by the Cyprus News Agency.

Diko condemned the planned event, arguing that “international festivals in the occupied areas” should not be treated simply as cultural or entertainment events.

The party said the event and its international promotion could send “wrong messages” by familiarising international audiences with what it described as the “faits accomplis of the occupation”.

Diko called on the government to take “appropriate actions” and stressed that “the occupation does not become less illegal because it is promoted through music, tourism or international events”.

Nexus is scheduled to take place at Kyrenia Castle on September 18 as part of the EXIT World Tour.

Organisers describe it as the first time that the EXIT festival experience will be brought to Cyprus.

The choice of Kyrenia castle is also in keeping with EXIT’s wider approach to staging events at historic and prominent locations.

The festival’s traditional home is the Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad, while its 2026 global tour is being promoted around the use of “iconic locations” for music events.

That use of a historic site has also raised questions over the protection of the castle itself for such an event, with the potential effect of crowds, staging and sound equipment.

The event will feature international electronic music acts including Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz, Italian duo Mathame, Cairo-based DJ Baset and Polish-born producer ANII.