The 29th University of Cyprus Cultural Festival commenced on June 5 in the picturesque courtyard of the Axiothea mansion, Nicosia. This year’s festival presents a diverse program including dance, shadow theatre, silent cinema, and a wide range of music genres such as jazz, traditional, contemporary, and classical. Performances and workshops will showcase both emerging and established artists with distinctive styles bridging tradition and innovation.

Highlights include Nabu Pera’s Soundscapes of Nicosia opening performance, Chinese calligraphy and paper-cutting workshops, a storytelling shadow theatre of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince, and a rare silent film screening of Dante Alighieri’s L’Inferno accompanied live by Andrea Goretti on piano. Other notable acts feature acclaimed Cretan musician Stelios Petrakis, jazz vibraphonist Dimitris Angelakis, and Cyprus’ Koulis Theodorou.

The festival runs until July 14, offering a mix of free and ticketed events. It continues to enrich Cyprus’s cultural landscape by blending international influences with local traditions in an engaging setting every evening at 8:30pm at Axiothea Mansion.