The President of Cyprus allocated €150,000 to support the opera festival in Paphos

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has approved the allocation of 150 thousand euros to support the Pafos Aphrodite Festival opera festival — one of the country’s most well-known cultural events. The decision was warmly welcomed by the authorities of Paphos and the festival organizers.

Paphos Mayor Angelos Onisiforou said the financial aid would make an important contribution to the development of a cultural institution that has for many years helped promote opera in Cyprus and beyond.

According to him, state support is a recognition of the festival’s cultural value and its significant contribution to the cultural life of the republic. Every year, the event takes place at the beginning of September and attracts classical music lovers from both Cyprus and abroad.

This year, as part of the 24th festival, on September 4 and 5, the famous opera L’Elisir d’Amore («The Elixir of Love») will be staged in the square of Paphos Medieval Castle. The production will be prepared by the National Opera and Ballet of Armenia with the participation of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

Organizers note that audiences can expect a unique combination of Italian operatic tradition and the historic atmosphere of the medieval castle, which has long become the festival’s hallmark.

Pafos Aphrodite Festival has been held since 1999 and over nearly a quarter of a century has become one of Cyprus’s most important cultural events, strengthening the country’s international image as a center of cultural and artistic exchange.