Larnaca Festivals

Every summer Cypriots celebrate a festival of music and performing arts in July. This annual festival provides outdoor, indoor concerts and a feast of entertainment at various town venues throughout the festival days. The festival serves up the performances of dance, theatre and music, film screenings and poetry by national and international talents.

Also, known as Kataklysmos, the Flood Festival takes place every year in June. This festival is celebrated 50 days after the Orthodox Easter on the day that is known as the day of the Holy Spirit. As the name suggests, water is the main focus of the festival. During the festival period, the people of Cyprus gather at the coast to mark the Christian feast of the Pentecost with religious ceremonies, concerts, boat races, swimming competitions and water-throwing activities to symbolize the purification of the body and soul.

The Anthestiria festival is a celebration of the arrival of spring and nature's rebirth in connection with Ancient Greece. The festival is held in May and is commenced by a parade of floats and people carrying beautiful, fresh flowers to the seafront. During this period, a visit to Troödos Mountains is an awesome experience as the hillsides get overflowed with beautiful plants and flowers.

This festival is one of the major Greek Orthodox religious celebrations of the year. It is considered as a public holiday in the city and happens on 6th January every year. Also, famous as the feast of light, it is celebrated in seaside towns of Cyprus. During this period, people gather at the Cathedral and a religious procession takes place down towards the sea, leading to a ceremonial baptism of the Holy Cross.

Before Easter and before the days of fasting, Carnival is held for ten days. This festival includes fun, food and parties. Parades, fancy dress balls and music performances are the main attractions during the festival. Popular international artists and DJs also participate in this event to provide the best entertainment.

Easter Sunday is a time of grand celebration and is widely regarded as the most important celebration in the Orthodox Ecclesiastical calendar. From Sunday to Tuesday the following week, Cypriot music and games are played in various parts of the city. Besides the entertainment, the Easter meal is prepared that includes Souvla, salads, cakes and other sweets.

The beginning of Lent is marked by the 'Green Monday'. This day is also called as Pure Monday, Clean Monday, Ash Monday or Monday of lent and is celebrated in all towns and villages of Cyprus with plenty of music, dancing flying of kites and delicious food including seafood, vegetables, unleavened bread called Lagana. On this day, Cypriots gather for an outdoor vegetarian meal of bread, vegetables and olives at the start of this Orthodox festival of fasting and contemplation.

Classical music fans should not miss the Larnaca Festival of Classical Music, organized every year in the month of April by the Larnaca Municipality. This festival includes performances from the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the London Concertante Chamber Ensemble and even other brass bands and classical singing groups. The event takes place at the Larnaca Municipal Theatre and is popular among music lovers.