The annual Ayia Napa International festival is coming up this weekend with a mixture of live performances, traditions and community engagement. 

The 37th annual festival is dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis, the great Greek composer who recently passed away. 
The 4 days of events take place on the 23-26 September and are located around the main square and monastery in Ayia Napa. 

The events line up includes - 
Thursday 23 September - Sports for All (part of the European Week of Sports)  Sports actions will be held by members of the AGO Famagusta program and in the Music and Dance Group of the Municipality of Ayia Napa will present a program.
Friday 24 September - headlined with a concert titled ′Boat adorned by well-known artists Georgia Dagaki, Despina Olympiou and Koulis Theodorou, with songs by great Greek composers with special reference to Crete. The concert will begin at 8.00 pm. At 7.45 pm there are Greek traditional dances from the Kimon Dance Bands of Xylotympos and the Municipality of Ayia Napa. The Cyprus Police Force Philharmonic band also perform at 7pm.
Saturday 25 September - The evening show enttitled Beautiful City of Ayia Napa is a tribute to the great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. There is a dance performance from Elena Tofa's Dance School. followed by the concert at 9.00 pm featuring with the popular Greek singer Peter Gaitanos along with Cypriot singers Maria Vardakis and Marianna Chatzichristou.  
Sunday 26 September - The final day of the Festival includes a concert entitled Love with performer Pantelis Thalassinos, including an anthology of songs of love from great Greek creators. 

In addition to the stage performances there is also an exhibition of agricultural products and flowers of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and the exhibition of the Forest Department on the topic Flora, Fauna and Environment of Cyprus.
At the Folklore Museum and traditional Farmhouse in the centre of the town square there will be demonstrations of traditional arts and activities such as woodworking, silversmithing, making silk, leather work, basketweaving, pottery and more.

Ayia Napa municipality have announced 2 cultural nights of Cypriot traditions to celebrate the anniversary of the Virgin Mary. 
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The events are being held at the traditional farmhouse cultural museum in the main square on Ayia Napa on the nights of 07 and 08 September from 8pm. 

There will be a selection of traditional Cypriot music and songs. 

Safepass / Cyprus Flight pass must be shown. 

The Municipality of Ayia Napa have announced an art exhibition to be held at the Thalassa museum by by artist Andreas Ephesopoulos entitled AMATHUS - OLD LIMASSOL. 
The exhibition will be open from 27 August until 14 September and includes 27 paintings created by the artist between 1992 and 2020. Using oil on canvas, the works celebrate the artists emotions and feelings about the ancient city kingdom of Amathus,, whose ruins lay on the outskirts of Limassol city.

The exhibition has been touring cities of Cyprus and at last comes to Ayia Napa to show the local Cypriot audience, as well as foreign visitors a glimpse of this historical wonder. 

The artist himself mentions in his book entitled ′′ Amathus - Old Limassol ′′:
′′ In my paintings, however, you will not see my dreams and associations but a clear representation of the source of information and inspiration. I try, if ever possible, to paint the spinning air, the light that illuminates, the turbulent land and the damages that, all at once, cause endlessly. Damages on stones often create the most unexpected and complicated formations on the form and surface. Even random assemblies resulting from all kinds of shifts are magical. The wild vegetation and the drastic and dramatic encounter of all elements with the sky, the clouds and the troubled sea complement repeated theatrical performances. All of this, I did everything I could to give it live, so that they could perhaps, trigger and motivation for each viewer to make their own connotations and myths."

Duration: August 27-September 14, 2021
Municipal Museum of Ayia Napa ′′ THALASSA ′′
Aries Water 14, Ayia Napa
Opening hours:
Monday: 9:00-14:00
Tuesday - Friday: 9:00-17:00
Saturday: 9:00-14:00
tel.: +357 23 816366

Ayia Napa municipality have announced a 3 day fish festival this coming weekend, 27-29 August. 
The festival will take place at Thalassa museum in the centre of town, in the outdoor amphitheater area and aims at promoting customs and traditions in Ayia Napa related to fishing and cooking fish.
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The Fish Festival includes a rich traditional music dance program, fishing craft demonstrations such as net sewing, craftsmanship, filleting and fish baking while visitors can try the various recipes for free.

Further highlights are as follows - 
Friday 27 August
8pm - Cypriot Dances with the Dance Group of the Municipality of Ayia Napa and the Dance group  Kimon. Antonis Koryzis - Lute & Song, Theophanis Theophanous - Violin
8.30 - Cypriot Traditional Songs with introduction by the Mayor of Ayia Napa Christos Zannettou
9pm Popular Poets - Competition of Tsattists, Erotic Songs and Poems. The competition is coordinated by Michalis Hatzimichael.

Saturday 28 August
8pm  Perfume of Tradition - Sergiani from the tradition of Cyprus and the wider Greek space to the modern composers and songwriters who marked the Greek Song

Sunday 29 August 
8pm Island Traditional Dances with the Dance Club Kimon and the Youth musical forum. 
8.30 Concert with the group  Cape Greco and the Dance Band  Rhymbos  and the Dance Band  Rhythmos.

There will be demonstrations with fishing crafts such as network sewing, skark making and filtration and fish grilling will be held at the premises.