Art Explora Festival – 25.10-4.11.2025

For its final stop of 2025, the Art Explora Festival and its one-of-a-kind museum boat will dock in Limassol from October 25 to November 4

The Art Explora Festival was created in 2024 with the vision of bringing art and culture closer to as many people as possible. This pioneering travelling festival sails across seas and oceans on board the world’s first museum boat, offering the public free access to innovative artistic and cultural experiences. These experiences are offered both on the boat itself and at selected venues in the host cities. Its programme includes visual art exhibitions, sound and multimedia installations, virtual reality experiences, concerts, dance performances, discussions, and workshops.

Having already welcomed more than 300,000 visitors during its Mediterranean stopovers – in Valletta (Malta), Venice (Italy), Marseille (France), Tangier and Rabat (Morocco), Málaga (Spain), Durrës (Albania), Nice (France), Rijeka (Croatia), and Athens (Greece) – the festival is now making its way to Cyprus, with Limassol as its final destination for 2025.

From October 25 to November 4, 2025, the festival will take place in Limassol, with visits on board the iconic museum boat available until November 2.

The programming is curated by The Island Club, a non-profit exhibition space based in Limassol, founded in 2017 by artist Christodoulos Panayiotou and directed by musician and curator Androula Kafa since 2019. Their aim, in their own words, is “to strengthen and promote local artistic creation while building networks with international cultural institutions.”

On the experience, Frédéric Jousset, Chairman of Art Explora, states :

“Mobility and artistic creation are powerful tools to help challenge perspectives and share images and stories to create different relationships with the world. Boarding a boat is an experience in itself; it’s even more remarkable when you find unique artistic and cultural endeavours on that boat, as well as quayside.”

Art Explora Festival Programme in Limassol (25 October – 4 November)

Immersive experiences on board the museum boat (until 2 November)

On the deck: A Mediterranean Soundscape, an immersive audio journey designed by IRCAM and Ircam Amplify (Centre Pompidou, Paris), offering a sensorial exploration of the richness and diversity of the Mediterranean.

Inside the museum-boat: Mediterranean Wonders, a virtual reality series developed with Ubisoft, allowing visitors to travel through time and space to discover Athens, Alexandria, and Venice at the height of their splendour.

Programming highlights in the city until 4 November

In Limassol, the Art Explora Festival will unfold across the city, from Molos to the historic centre, showcasing its vibrant cultural scene through music, theatre, visual arts, dance and cinema, while reflecting both its diversity and contemporary challenges.

Concerts

• Opening concert with the Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, Michalis Terlikkas & Mousa Music Group, Kemal Deveci and Aziz Kahraman, Krista Papista with Jan Verwoert and Kanella Petropoulou (premiere of the album EURO DIVAS), Stelios Petrakis & ensemble (Christina Polycarpou, Simon Mercouris, Stelios Papamichael), (25 Oct, Old Port Square)
• Live concert with Savina Yannatou with Primavera en Salonico and Lamia Bedioui, with an opening act by Spivak (26 Oct, Old Port Square)
• A live concert of hip-hop, rock, and electronic music at the EKA Group garage, featuring underground talent from Limassol. With Something Messy, MUSHA, Mava + ΚαππαΧι + Nocs, presented as part of The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification (1 Nov)
• Your Face Sounds Familiar, Filipino community music event (2 Nov)

DJ sets

• Closing DJ sets after the opening concert with DJ Koulla P. Katsikoronou and dj harama (25 Oct, Old Port Square)
• Afterparty at Tapper Bar, after the live concert of The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification (1 Nov)

Performances

• 1953: A 16-hour durational performance at Rialto Theatre. Concept / Direction: Christodoulos Panayiotou. With (amongst many others): Valentino Joseph, Elena Topalidou, Stela Phyrogeni, Androula Kafa, Christina Vantzou, Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra, Amalgamation Choir, Alexandros Pissourios, Kristia Michael
• Evita Ioannou’s performance based on Diana Georgiou’s novel Other Reflexes (27 Oct)

Screenings & Cinema

• Cinemare daily open-air screenings on the seafront promenade (27 Oct – 1 Nov)
• In the Shadow of the Towers, a screening programme with new works by Phivos Philitas, Adonis Archontides, and Androula Kafa as part of The Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification (30 Oct)
• Screening of Secret, a film by Demetris Kolokotronis and Stelios Ilchuk at the Archaeological Museum of Limassol (4 Nov)

Walks & Site-specific Works

• Yiannis Papadakis & Ioanna Paraskevopoulou’s guided walk through Ayios Nicolaos cemetery (1 & 2 Nov)
• The Cinema: a sound walk and an interdisciplinary event by the Center of Performing Arts MITOS, curated by Elena Agathokleous (28 Oct)
• Sevina Floridou’s guided walk through Limassol’s historic Fytidou orchard will introduce visitors to this long-abandoned garden of over 50 palms, now being reopened to the public. (26 Oct, Ocean Weekend)

Special Programmes & Collaborations

• The multilayered program Right to Home: Diaries of Limassol’s Gentrification, includes a group exhibition, a writing workshop, a poetry night, a guided tour, screenings, an open discussion, a concert, and a party. (30 Oct–2 Nov)
• Collaboration with Limassol Art Walks, turning the historic centre into an open-air gallery (31 Oct–2 Nov)
• Archaeological Museum talk on human–animal relations (4 Nov)

Ocean Weekend – Sunday 26 October

Part of the festival’s Ocean Weekend series, aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Science, Limassol will host a dedicated day of events on 26 October:

• A guided walk on Ottoman water heritage by Sevina Floridou
• A performance by acclaimed Greek vocalist Savina Yannatou together with Primavera en Salonico and Lamia Bedioui

Collaboration with Limassol Art Walks – 31 October to 2 November

The second weekend of the festival will coincide with Limassol Art Walks, featuring exhibitions, performances, residencies, and artist activations in synergy with the festival. Highlights include the Residency Open Studios at MeMeraki, The Right to Home programme at Synergeio and the EKA Group Parking, and an exhibition of Valentino Joseph at Pylon Art & Culture.

Discover the full programme online: www.artexplora.org/festival/ville/limassol

Venue/s 

Name:  Limassol Marina (museum-boat), Old Port Square and Molos, Rialto Theatre, Limassol Municipal Arts Centre Apothikes Papadaki, Old Vinegar Factory, Archeological Museum of Limassol, Fytideio, Cinema, EKA Group parking and Synergeio Performing Arts Centre, Tapper Bar, MeMeraki Artist Residency

Postal address: 3601 Limassol, Cyprus

For the programme click here