Filenews 17 August 2023 - by Dora Christodoulou
The installation of the prefabricated stands in the square of Kato Pafos Castle a while ago created in many art lovers the anticipation of announcements for the return of the leading cultural institution of Pafos over the last two decades, opera.
However, it seems that, although this has not been officially finalized, Pafos Aphrodite Festival is leaving us permanently and the stands were set up only to serve the concert of Kostas Hatzis in the following days.
The leading cultural event of Cyprus in the last fifteen years, the Pafos Opera, has not been organized since 2019 initially due to the coronavirus and the last two years for reasons that have not been clarified, but which, according to competent factors, have to do with the disagreements and differences that led to the change of the organization's shareholder structure and the general degradation of cultural issues in the city after the period of the European Capital of Culture.
Revealing information of "F" reports that in a recent session the issue of the return of the opera in September this year was raised before the Municipal Council of Pafos, but although initially it seemed a positive climate for the organization of Pafos Aphrodite Festival 2023, in the end it was decided not to hold it this year and the attention of the Municipality to turn to another event with the subsidy of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
This development now creates the certainty to many actors and institutions of the province that the Pafos Aphrodite Festival, which included the city and Cyprus in general in the calendar of world-class cultural events, will not take place again.
This is very strange, given the international recognition of the institution and the practical benefits for the city with the advent of special interest tourism by opera lovers.
A competent source at the Pafos Municipal Hall, however, told "F" that the opera is not being abandoned, but there have simply been procedural problems this year for its restoration. She referred specifically to the resignation of an officer who had the general command of the event and to which it was proposed to deal with the event this year in the form of purchasing services. After that there was no time to move the organizing processes forward, she said, which we hope will be resolved by 2024.
In view of the absence of this year's event, the same source said, it was decided to hold two concerts with the Vienna Mozart Symphony Orchestra at the end of September at the port of Kato Pafos.
