Pafos Aphrodite Festival

The Pafos Aphrodite Festival is an open-air opera festival held in early September on the harbour square in front of the medieval castle at Kato Paphos. It was established in 1999 and stages a single full opera production each year, performed by a visiting international company with the floodlit castle and the harbour as the backdrop.

Each edition brings one major work to the temporary stage. Past productions have included Verdi's La Traviata and Aida, Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's Turandot, performed over several evenings by international companies and casts. The festival is named for Aphrodite, the goddess of love who in Greek myth was born on the Paphos coast, which ties the event to the wider mythology of the area. Over the years it has grown into one of the better-known cultural events in the eastern Mediterranean, drawing opera audiences as well as travellers already in the city.

Making an evening of it

The castle sits at the end of the harbour, within the UNESCO-listed area that also holds the Paphos Archaeological Park and its Roman mosaics, and the Tombs of the Kings a short way up the coast. The mythical sea stack at Aphrodite's Rock, east toward Limassol, makes a fitting daytime stop before an evening performance.

• Performances run on the harbour square over several evenings in early September.
• Tickets are sold by price tier; book ahead, as the run is short.
• Bring a light layer, as harbour-side evenings can turn cool after dark.

Seating is open-air, so check the year's programme and ticket tiers in advance. For the rest of the area, see our Paphos guide.