The 26th International Famagusta Culture and Arts Festival will open on June 23 and run through July 16, bringing music, theater and dance performances to historic venues across the city, officials said.
Organized by the Famagusta Municipality, the annual festival will feature events at Othello Castle and the ancient amphitheater of Salamis, highlighting international and local artists in a program spanning more than three weeks.
The festival opens with a free concert by Turkish singer Selin Geçit at Othello Castle. The following night, June 24, Cypriot music project Kyprogenia will perform at the same venue, presenting contemporary interpretations of traditional Cypriot music.
The program continues until June 30 with the play “Devlerin Savaşı” ("Battle of the Giants"), featuring actors Okan Bayülgen, Celal Kadri Kınoğlu and Nihal Usanmaz, depicting the lives of composers Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein.
On July 1, the Famagusta City Orchestra will perform with Cypriot musician Fikri Karayel, followed July 6 by a tango performance from Italy-based Naturalis Labor Dance Company and the Tango Spleen Quartet.
Jazz bassist Oytun Ersan and the Blue Deja Vu Band are scheduled for July 7.
The festival moves to the ancient theater of Salamis on July 9 with “Atreusların Yalnızlığı” ("The Solitude of the Atreus"), a bilingual Turkish and Greek production exploring the aftermath of the House of Atreus myth.
U.S.-based band Pink Martini will perform July 14, followed by Turkish pop singer Sertab Erener, who will close the festival July 16.
Tickets for paid events are available through local ticketing outlets and at venue entrances, organizers said.
The festival has previously hosted a wide range of international performers and continues to position Famagusta as a regional cultural hub, officials said.
