Various events in Ais Yiannis, Stavrodromi, Agioi Anargyroi, and Kiti–Pervolia from October through November
The organisation of Larnaka 2030– European Capital of Culture 2030 presented the Mahalart 26 Festival at a press conference on Wednesday, 7 October, the flagship programme returning to the neighbourhoods of Larnaka, featuring four different initiatives that link artistic creation with the history, people and everyday life of each area.
Welcoming remarks were given by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Larnaka 2030 Organisation, Dinos Lefkaritis, the Director-General, Andreas Karakatsanis; the European and International Relations Officer, Anna Georgiadou, representing the Deputy Ministry of Culture; and Kelly Diapouli, Artistic Director of the Larnaka 2030 Organisation. The conference was also attended by artists and media representatives.
The Mahalart Festival began in 2023 on Princess Zehra Street, in the Tourkomahala neighbourhood of Skala, with a fundamental principle that remains at its core: culture is not brought into a neighbourhood as a finished product but is created in dialogue with it. The stories, everyday practices, people and spaces of each area form the starting point for artistic creation.
As Andreas Karakatsanis, Director-General of the Larnaka 2030 Organisation, noted in his brief opening remarks: “Mahalart is a programme that expresses in a very meaningful way how we perceive culture at Larnaka 2030: not as something that takes place only in halls, on stages and in established cultural venues, but as a living process that can begin on a street, in a courtyard, in a square, through a story or, quite simply, through people coming together.”
Kelly Diapouli, Artistic Director of Larnaka 2030, then spoke about the programme’s artistic philosophy, noting: “Through Mahalart, we focus on social art: methodologies, practices and the ethical issues that arise when artists are called upon to create within a living community of people rather than in the private space of their studio. Our ambition is for Larnaka to become a point of reference on the European map, a space for study, experimentation and creation centred on these practices. That is why, starting this year, we are inviting six artists from various Mediterranean countries to work in the city, using the people of Larnaka themselves and their stories as their subject matter.”
This year’s programme for the Mahalart Festival is taking place in four different areas — Ais Yiannis, the Stavrodromi area on Agios Georgios Kontou Street, the Agioi Anargyroi refugee settlement and the wider Kiti–Pervolia area—with each event following a different artistic and participatory approach, depending on the history and character of each location.
The programme includes film, music, theatre, visual arts, walking tours, workshops and participatory activities, offering residents and visitors new opportunities to meet and get involved.
For Larnaka 2030, neighbourhoods are not merely the backdrop for these activities, but one of the most important spaces where the concept of ‘Common Ground’ can be put into practice: people with different experiences share the same space, listen to one another and create together.
All events are free to attend.
The full programme for Mahalart 26
Mahalart in Ais Yiannis | 8–10 October
The programme for Mahalart in Ais Yiannis was developed in close collaboration with the residents, drawing on their experiences and the unique character of the neighbourhood.
Thursday 8 October 2026 | 8.00 pm
Film Night – Ais Yiannis Square
Screening of Ken Loach’s film The Old Oak, in English with Greek subtitles. Running time: 113 minutes. The film is suitable for viewers aged 15 and over.
Friday 9 October 2026 | from 19:00
Festival Evening – Ais Yiannis Square
Artistic walks through the neighbourhood, starting from Ais Yiannis Square, featuring performances by the Ars Nova Choir Cyprus, Sofia Kalli in the play ‘Our Friend Lata’, written by Marina Vronti, the Dance House by Kalia dance school, photographer Filippos Sotiriou and Artemisia Vassiliou.
The programme also includes the audiovisual screening ‘Myths of Cyprus’, in collaboration with the Press and Information Office.
In the square, from 19:00 to 21:00, there will be a workshop on printing on fabric bags with Lyolya Filimonova and Ariana Zakou, the creation of a collective visual art piece, an interactive music workshop with Narcie Hadjiconstantinou, and a METRO live cooking session with Ioannis Petros Eleftheriadis.
At 9.30 pm, the evening will conclude with a concert by THE TEASE.
Saturday 10 October 2026 | 10.30
An open, participatory discussion on Mahalart at the “Vasilitzia Cultural Association” premises, with free coffee and refreshments.
“Ploutwnos 71” | 17–18 & 24–25 October
A musical street theatre production based on the stories of Costas Mannouris, with musical direction by Salome Paraskeva and directed by Petros Charalambous, returns to 1980s Larnaka and to the very street where the stories originated.
The courtyards and street parties, the weddings that brought the streets to a standstill, the family stories, the romances, the losses and people’s hopes for a better life form the raw material of the production.
Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 October
Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October
Time: 20:00
Venue: 71 Agios Georgios Kontou (formerly 71 Ploutwnos), opposite Agios Georgios Kontou Primary School, Larnaka.
Cast and Crew:
Script: Costas Mannouris | Director: Petros Charalambous | Musical Director: Salome Paraskeva | Assistant Director: Andria Efthymiou
Actors: Dimitris Anagiotos, Valando Charalambous, Gioula Maliou
Musicians: Andreas Georgiou, Kyriakos Kosta | Video art: Michalakis Georgiou.
Agioi Anargyroi neighbourhood | 29–31 October
Eight artists from different Mediterranean countries will be staying in Larnaka from 5 October to 1 November, as part of the European programme MedSEA – Socially Engaged Arts in the Mediterranean Sea.
The artists will get to know the refugee settlement in Agioi Anargyroi and its residents, listening to their stories and observing their daily lives. The works will be created on site in collaboration with local residents and will be presented at a three-day festival on 29, 30 and 31 October.
Participants: Anastasiia Pavlenko (Ukraine / Cyprus), Aymen Goubaa (Tunisia), Francesco Grech (Malta & Victoria 2031 European Capital of Culture), Libertad Pozo (Spain), Martina Sedda (Italy), Maria Alves (Portugal), Šćepan Popović (Montenegro & Niksic 2030 European Capital of Culture) and Theodora Andreou (Cyprus).
Pervolia – Kiti | 7–8 November
The Pathkia-Pathkia group continues its activities in the wider Kiti–Pervolia area, through a process based on exploring the locality, participation and the gradual building of relationships with local communities.
Saturday 7 November | Pervolia – Pervolia neighbourhood | starts at 15:30
The programme includes a walking tour with stops at local farms, the community’s women’s initiatives and the history of the lighthouse keeper, storytelling with Gioula Maliou, ‘Common Ground Kafeneio’ by Larnaka 2030, a short theatre performance, a film screening and a live music programme featuring the band Anaren Bourek.
Sunday 8 November | Kiti – Angeloktisti Neighbourhood | from 11.00
At 11.00, there will be an interactive performance for young children by the Anemelia theatre group, followed by a treasure hunt led by Theodora Challouma. At 12.00, there will be a walking tour and a pottery workshop led by Eri Papadopoulou.
