Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency 2026 

Council of the European Union

Promoting Contemporary Cypriot Creative Industries

Supporting Artists and Cultural Production

Cultural Presence in 30+ Countries worldwide.

Showcasing the history and cultural heritage of Cyprus

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.

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
Nicosia Cyprus
Filoxenia Conference Centre

The Worlds of Cyprus

01.01 - 30.06

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. 

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
Brussels Belgium
European Council

WEATHER

Art installation at Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings of the Council of EU
26.01 - 30.06

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.

 

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
Brussels Belgium
European Parliament

Nicosia International Airport

27.01 - 30.06

Exhibition entitled “Nicosia International Airport” by Andros Efstathiou, featuring photographs from the abandoned Nicosia (Lefkosia) International Airport. (closed to the public)

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
Nicosia Cyprus
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - Spel

Agropoetics: Soils/Bodies

30.01 - 30.06

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.

Exhibition
Archaeology
Apr 16
Paris France
Louvre Museum

Cyprus at the Louvre

10.02 - 22.06

Cypriot antiquities and intangible cultural heritagepoetry, and traditional music of the islandbrought to life through digital technologies.

 

Exhibition
Apr 16
Paris France
The Bibliothèque Nationale De France – Richelieu

Chypre à la BnF

10.02 - 14.06

The National Library of France honours Cyprus within the framework of a scientific collaboration with the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus.

Exhibition
History
Apr 16
Athens Greece
Tobacco Factory of the Hellenic Parliament

Sector 2: Nicosia

Exhibition of historic context
11.03 - 24.05

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.

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
Berlin Germany
ANDREAS MURKUDIS, Space 77

Beauty in Question: thinking through and beyond form

21.03 - 18.04

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. 

VR Installation
Apr 16
Brussels Belgium
Bozar Centre for Fine Arts

LOST SPACES – Inside the Nicosia Buffer Zone

A VR experience inside the Nicosia Buffer Zone
26.03 - 19.04 00:00 - 00:00

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.

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Apr 16
The Hague Netherlands
Pulchri Studio

Palimpsest Worlds

26.03 - 26.04

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. 

Film
Cinema
Apr 17
Rialto Theatre – Zena Palace

24th International Cyprus Film Days Festival

17.04 - 25.04

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.

Performance
Theatre
Apr 20
Stockholm Sweden
Medelhavsmuseet

Encounters / Συναντήσεις

20.04 - 21.04

“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
Music
Apr 28
Cairo Egypt
American University Cairo

Concert for clarinet and piano

28.04

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.

Concert
Music
May 06
Tallinn Estonia
Mustpeade Maja Concert Hall

Musica Vivere String Orchestra

06.05

A concert featuring the Musica Vivere String Orchestra, under the direction of Cypriot conductor Theodoros Kameris.

Lecture/Conference
Archaeology
May 11
Nicosia Cyprus
Cyprus Museum

Performing Collections Performing Archives:

Creative Afterlives of the Findings, Photographs and Writings of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition
11.05

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”.

Lecture/Conference
Literature
May 19
Sofia Bulgaria
University of Sofia, Yaitseto Hall

Point of Departure / Point of Return

Cyprus in and Beyond the Sea
19.05

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

Concert
Music
May 21
Amman Jordan
Al Hussein Cultural Center

Cypriot Music Revisited-Weavings

21.05

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. 

Lecture/Conference
Literature
May 21
Veliko Tarnovo Bulgaria
Veliko Tarnovo University

Point of Departure / Point of Return

Cyprus in and Beyond the Sea
21.05

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

Lecture/Conference
Archaeology
May 25
Manama Bahrain
Bahrain National Museum

At the Crossroads of the Ancient World: Cyprus in the Hellenistic Age

25.05

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. 

Performance
Music
May 26
Bratislava Slovakia
Moyses Hall of Comenius University

Chronoplous

26.05

Chronoplous” is a musical performance that explores time, memory, and the cultural identity of Cyprus through a creative dialogue between tradition and contemporary orchestration. 

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Jun 01
Yerevan Armenia
Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art

Nature Unbound: Between Remedy and Poison

01.06 - 30.06

The group exhibition of contemporary art Nature Unbound: Between Remedy and Poison (Ályti Phýsi: Fármako kai Farmáki) is presented in Armenia.

 

Exhibition
Visual Arts
Jun 03
London UK
The Hellenic Centre

George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus

A Major Exhibition of Cypriot Modern Art
03.06 - 22.06

George Pol. Georghiou – Timeless Cyprus brings to London a powerful body of work by one of Cyprus’s most important modern artists.

Exhibition
Archaeology
Jun 05
Barcelona Spain
Museu Picasso de Barcelona

Picasso and Cyprus: Encounters with Mediterranean Ceramics

05.06 - 28.09

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.

Concert
Music
Jun 08
London UK
Cadogan Hall - London

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 & Choral Fantasy

An evening of Beethoven celebrating unity, Europe, and Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union
08.06 19:30 - 21:00

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.

Exhibition
Handicraft
Jun 09
Kopenhagen Denmark
Moltkes Palæ

Crafting Nature

09.06 - 30.06

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.

Performance
Music
Jun 18
Pretoria South Africa
Fairtree Atterbury Theatre

The King of the Upside-Down World

18.06

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. 

Performance
Music
Jun 18
Prague Czechia
Pražská křižovatka

Cyprus: Between Continents, Within Time

18.06 19:30 - 21:30

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.