Website of the Cultural Programme of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026
Discover Cyprus’ Cultural Vision for 2026
The Cultural Programme of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 is designed to showcase the Cypriot contemporary artistic scene alongside the rich cultural heritage of the island, and to highlight Cyprus as a bridge between Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Experience Culture Across Cyprus and Europe
The programme will focus on the unity and the continuation that results from the harmonious connection of the unique cultural identities and traditions of the E.U. Member States, thus reminding, enriching and empowering the bonds that unite Cyprus with the E.U. Member States which are all pieces that form a marvellousmosaic.
For the implementation of the programme the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus has collaborated with a strong network of partners and has included an remarkable number of artists from all fields of artistic creation.
Events and Programme
Discover cultural events taking place in Cyprus, across Europe, and internationally throughout the 2026 EU Council Presidency. Explore exhibitions, performances, dialogues, and collaborations that highlight Cyprus’ cultural identity and its connection to Europe.
The Worlds of Cyprus
More than sixty works by Cypriot artists are presented in the spaces of the Filoxenia Conference Centre within the context of the exhibition “The Worlds of Cyprus”, presented within the framework of the Cultural Programme of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026.
WEATHER
In the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, the exhibition of the artistic intervention “WEATHER”, designed and curated by the internationally acclaimed Cypriot designer Michael Anastassiades, has been officially inaugurated.
Nicosia International Airport
Exhibition entitled “Nicosia International Airport” by Andros Efstathiou, featuring photographs from the abandoned Nicosia (Lefkosia) International Airport. (closed to the public)
Agropoetics: Soils/Bodies
Contemporary Cypriot art exhibition, curated by Dr Elena Parpa, titled “Agropoetics: Soils/Bodies”, featuring works by more than 40 artists. Exhibition displayed until 30 June 2026.
Cyprus at the Louvre
Cypriot antiquities and intangible cultural heritage, poetry, and traditional music of the island, brought to life through digital technologies.
Chypre à la BnF
The National Library of France honours Cyprus within the framework of a scientific collaboration with the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus.
Cyprus and Italy: shared cultural identities at the Dawn of History
Archaeological exhibition entitled ‘Cyprus and Italy: shared cultural identities’, featuring 120 antiquities from Cyprus, Sardinia and Sicily, spanning 11.000 years of history.
Sector 2: Nicosia
Sector 2: Nicosia is a different, experiential exhibition, which is intended to tell, through an innovative museological approach and experience, the story of the Green Line, a line which for more than 60 years now has been splitting the last divided capital of Europe.
Beauty in Question: thinking through and beyond form
According to ancient Greek mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, emerged from the foam of the sea in the southwestern coast of Cyprus. This myth highlights the unique historical and morphological identity of the island. Nature provides the fertile ground for the birth of an idea and the identification of a place. In essence, on the level of interpretation, it consists of a reflection on beauty as an idea.
LOST SPACES – Inside the Nicosia Buffer Zone
Lefkosia (Nicosia), the capital of Cyprus, is the last divided city in Europe. The city’s Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities were first separated by the British in 1956.
Palimpsest Worlds
At the opening, flutist Eva Stavrou will perform her composition Breaths of the Mediterranean.
The visual art exhibition Palimpsest Worlds part of the Cultural Programme of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, serves as an artistic metaphor for European identity itself: a coexistence of many voices, histories and cultures sharing a common present.
24th International Cyprus Film Days Festival
From 17 to 25 April 2026, the screening halls of the Rialto Theatre and Zena Palace will once again fill with light, voices and stories.
Encounters / Συναντήσεις
“Encounters” is a documentary theater performance based on the finds, photographs and writings of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition (1927-31), historical archives and sources from the families of the Cypriots and Swedes directly associated with the Expedition.
Concert for clarinet and piano
This chamber music concert presents a diverse program showcasing compositions by Cypriot composers, alongside established works by European composers that have become an integral part of the international clarinet repertoire.
Musica Vivere String Orchestra
A concert featuring the Musica Vivere String Orchestra, under the direction of Cypriot conductor Theodoros Kameris.
Performing Collections Performing Archives:
The project “Performing Collections Performing Archives: Creative Afterlives of the Findings, Photographs and Writings of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition” is organizing a colloquium among researchers, museum professionals and artists entitled “Artistic Practices in Colonial Museum and Archival Collections: Retellings and Reframings”.
Soñando lo Europeo: A Musical Bridge between Cyprus and Argentina
Concert by Cypriot singer Vakia Stavrou in Buenos Aires.
Point of Departure / Point of Return
The literary event “Point of Departure / Point of Return: Cyprus in and Beyond the Sea” presents contemporary poetesses from Cyprus, also aiming to indicate the power of literature as a resource for cultural identity and as a force for cohesion within the EU
Cypriot Music Revisited-Weavings
ChamberFusion Ensemble, guided by the arrangements of Neoklis Neophytides, unite to embark on a reimagined musical odyssey through the realm of Cypriot traditional music, employing classical musical instruments.
Point of Departure / Point of Return
The literary event “Point of Departure / Point of Return: Cyprus in and Beyond the Sea” presents contemporary poetesses from Cyprus, also aiming to indicate the power of literature as a resource for cultural identity and as a force for cohesion within the EU
At the Crossroads of the Ancient World: Cyprus in the Hellenistic Age
The exact political and social organisation of Cyprus from the Classical to the Hellenistic period remain largely unknown. However, the existing philological, epigraphic and archaeological material allow us to reach some safe conclusions.
Chronoplous
“Chronoplous” is a musical performance that explores time, memory, and the cultural identity of Cyprus through a creative dialogue between tradition and contemporary orchestration.
Nature Unbound: Between Remedy and Poison
The group exhibition of contemporary art Nature Unbound: Between Remedy and Poison (Ályti Phýsi: Fármako kai Farmáki) is presented in Armenia.
George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus
George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus brings to London a powerful body of work by one of Cyprus’s most important modern artists.
Picasso and Cyprus: Encounters with Mediterranean Ceramics
The archaeological-art exhibition includes 100–120 Cypriot antiquities dating from different periods, juxtaposed with selected works from Picasso’s ceramics. Exhibition displayed until 28 September 2026.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy
As part of the official cultural programme marking the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus of the Council of the European Union, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra presents a distinguished concert at Cadogan Hall, London.
Crafting Nature
The exhibition Crafting Nature highlights the artistic dynamism of Cypriot creators who draw on Nature as their primary source of inspiration, shaping handmade works through its materials and principles.
The King of the Upside-Down World
The performance “The King of the Upside-Down World” presents a selection of poems by Yiorgos Kalozois, composed by Maria Zannetou, directed by Irini Andreou, and featuring the participation of two distinguished musicians. It is a stage composition of poetry, music, and theatrical action, characterized by a timeless sensitivity.
Cyprus: Between Continents, Within Time
The event is a multidisciplinary artistic performance combining live music, audiovisual material, and spoken word, presented as part of the cultural programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Drawing inspiration from the history, mythology, and contemporary cultural identity of Cyprus, the performance approaches these themes through a modern, integrated artistic perspective.
