The Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026 was officially presented on Monday during a press conference at the Presidential Palace, outlining an ambitious cultural agenda spanning Cyprus and 31 countries across Europe.
Presenting the programme, Vasiliki Kassianidou, Deputy Minister of Culture, described culture as a central pillar of the Cypriot Presidency rather than a peripheral activity. She stressed that the programme reflects a deliberate political choice with strategic depth, institutional substance and a clear European dimension.
According to Kassianidou, culture is positioned as a tool for cohesion, dialogue and European self awareness, linking Cyprus’s cultural heritage with contemporary creation and cultural diplomacy.
A national programme with European reach
The Cultural Programme was designed as an integral part of the overall strategy of the Cyprus Presidency, developed in close cooperation with the Presidency Secretariat, departments of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, Cyprus’s diplomatic missions in Europe, institutional partners and the artistic community.
For the first time, Cyprus has developed a unified and coherent cultural narrative that treats culture as a continuous and living process. The programme connects heritage, contemporary artistic expression and diplomacy under a central metaphor, the “thread”, symbolising the weaving together of people, states, ideas and cultures.
Five pillars shaping the programme
The programme is structured around five interconnected pillars. These include showcasing Cyprus’s cultural heritage as part of European history, promoting contemporary Cypriot creation at a pan European level, integrating research, innovation and new technologies, supporting artists and cultural production, and strengthening cultural diplomacy.
The aim is for Cyprus to address Europe with a pluralistic yet unified cultural identity that bridges past, present and future.
Opening ceremony titled “Memory, Present, After”
A key moment of the programme will be the official opening ceremony of the Cyprus Presidency on 7 January 2026 at the main stage of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation. The production, directed by Kostas Silvestros, is titled “Memory, Present, After” and will involve more than 100 Cypriot artists and cultural professionals.
Cultural actions in 31 countries
The international component of the programme includes cultural events in 31 countries, with flagship interventions in 11 countries and parallel activities organised through Cypriot embassies in an additional 20.
Planned highlights include the official opening gala of the Cyprus Presidency in Brussels, artistic interventions at the Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings, exhibitions at the European Parliament, and Cyprus’s participation as guest country at Bozar Centre for Fine Arts.
The programme also features archaeological exhibitions, concerts, contemporary dance performances, visual arts exhibitions and immersive digital experiences in cities such as Paris, Rome, Athens, London, Berlin, Barcelona and Copenhagen.
Cyprus as a living cultural landscape
Alongside its international presence, the Cultural Programme will be embedded in Cyprus’s domestic cultural life. It includes major temporary exhibitions, interventions in high traffic public spaces, activities in museums and cultural institutions, and events in local communities, as well as the main cultural initiatives of the Deputy Ministry of Culture during the first half of 2026.
A long term cultural investment
More than 500 artists, creators, curators, technicians and cultural professionals are expected to participate in the programme. The total cost amounts to €4.4 million, which is framed as a strategic investment with long term benefits for cultural development, the economy and Cyprus’s international profile.
As highlighted during the presentation, Cyprus’s EU Presidency in 2026 will not be defined solely by institutional priorities but also by art, creativity and people, leaving behind a lasting cultural legacy that extends beyond the six month presidency period.
Further information is available on the official Cyprus Presidency website and the dedicated digital platform for the Cultural Programme.