CONCERTS AND FESTIVALS in CYPRUS



Carnival          

February - March - Each year

Carnival in Cyprus means a near two-week period of celebrations with a focus on food, before the 50 days of Easter. Festivities take place in various towns all over the island.

The first week is called the Meat Week (Kreatini), as it is the last week for eating meat before Easter, while the second is known as the cheese week (Tyrini). Carnival festivities usually begin on the Tsiknopefti day of Meat Week, gaining its name from the unmistakable aromas of the meat cooking.

Carnival parades and fancy-dress balls are very popular and take place in most towns. Limassol hosts the most famous celebration, while Larnaka and Paphos also offer impressive parades.

Limassol
February 28 : entrance of King Carnival in the Town
March 2 : Children's Carnival Parade
March 8 : Serenaders' Parade in the town centre
March 9 : The Grand Carnival parade of chariots and groups of people along   Makarios III Avenue
Organised by the Lemesos Municipality, tel: 25 745919

Paphos
February 28 : entrance of King Carnival at the commercial centre of Paphos
March 8 :  The Carnival parade of chariots and groups of people along    Poseidonos Avenue, Kato Paphos
Organised by the Paphos Municipality, tel: 26 932014




Green Monday (50 days before the Greek Easter)

March - Each Year

Green Monday marks the beginning of Lent and is celebrated in Paphos with a picnic and a kite-flying competition. Other towns and villages celebrate too.

The first Monday of Lent (50 days before Greek Orthodox Easter) is a Bank Holiday in Cyprus and Green Monday picnics are held all over the island. Families and friends gather for an outdoor vegetarian meal of bread, vegetables and olives at the start of this Orthodox festival of fasting and contemplation.

In Paphos, there is a kite-flying competition down by the lighthouse, where people of all ages fly home-made or locally purchased creations to varying degrees of success.

During Lent, meat and dairy products are forbidden, so why not try some of the delicious Cypriot pastries: tahinopitta (with sweetened tahini paste inside), spanokopitta (spinach) and kolokopitta (pumpkin with raisin).

Events & activities : Cape Greco ( Agia Napa), Tekke Grove ( Larnaca), Faros beach ( Kato Paphos), Polis municipality beach (Polis)




Troodos Thematic Weekends

The programme includes:

- painting and engraving exhibition, presentation of artists
- walk through hazelnut woods, children’s fair, traditional games and music performance.
- traditional local crafts, music and dances.
- music and dance theatre and a music performance.
- exhibition of arts and crafts made by local people and Cypriot and Greek music and songs.
- presentation of the ceramic art in Cyprus and use of the Cypriot ceramics, a music performance.

Event Details
Date	Each year
Country	Cyprus
Town Category Price/Range Organiser Venue	Troodos Concerts, exhibitions Free RYMVOS Dance Club Different villages

Limassol Wine Festival       

The Wine Festival began as a tribute to the island’s long winemaking tradition, growing in size and variety over the years. Inspired by the ancient festivals dedicated to the God of Wine Dionysos and the Goddess of Beauty and Love Aphrodite, it combines fun and merrymaking with ample wine and food and a variety of performances from local and international artistic groups. Addressed to permanent residents as well as foreign guests, the Wine Festival offers an opportunity to sample different local wines from large and small wineries, and traditional Cypriot food.

Another popular crowd-puller is a traditional wine press. There is a small entrance fee, but once inside all the wine is free. The Festival’s trademark is the huge “Vraka Man” that towers over the entrance with the welcoming motto “Drink wine to be healthy”.