Filenews 3 February 2026 - by Ioanna Mantziipa
The city of Limassol is entering a carnival rhythm and the preparations on the part of the Limassol Municipality are at their peak, with the aim of ensuring the smooth conduct of the events and ensuring the safety of both citizens and visitors. This year, however, there will be no charge for the policing of carnival parades by the Police.
The mayor of Limassol, Yiannis Armeftis, asked by "F" to take a position on the issue of policing, clarified that this year there will be no tariff and no financial burden. At the same time, he stated that a meeting has already been held with the Limassol Police Director, in the presence of Police officials and Traffic Police officials, as well as the Cultural Services of the municipality.
The purpose of this meeting, as he said, is the better coordination of all events, with particular emphasis on the smooth conduct of the carnival. The cooperation, as Mr. Armeftis explained, will start on Fat Thursday, February 12 and will culminate with the Great Carnival Parade on Sunday, February 22. As the mayor mentioned, the priority is the safety of citizens during the events.
However, for the record, it should be mentioned that last year there was a big uproar with the invoice sent by the Police for the amount of €43,000 to the Limassol Municipality. The invoice concerned the participation of 112 members of the House. The Limassol Municipality never paid this amount, arguing that policing concerns public safety and is covered by the state budget. In fact, the same attitude was taken by the Legal Service in an opinion, stating that the municipality does not have to pay any amount.
A year later, the payment for last year's Carnival
After a year, the time has come for the payment of the overtime of the Police for policing last year's carnival events. According to information from "F", the members of the House were informed yesterday that their overtime for the services they provided for the 2025 carnivals will be paid in the February payroll. This development comes after a considerable period of waiting and discussions about the financing of the costs for policing.
Only pedestrians in the city center on Tsiknopempti
Along with policing, on the day of Tsiknopempti there will also be traffic regulations regarding the use of vehicles. According to Mr. Armeftis, the goal is to limit vehicle traffic on the ring south of Gladstonos Street, from Zinonos to Ellados Street. This is intended to reduce the influx of cars in the heart of the city, which on Tsiknopempti is expected to be full of life and fun.
"On this day there is a large crowd in various squares of the city center, such as Saripolou and Kastrou. Each store develops its own activities, with traffic being difficult. We would like to avoid the entry of vehicles and we appeal to citizens to park north of Gladstonos", said the Mayor.
The aim is to pedestrianize a large ring around the city center, restricting vehicle traffic. The municipality is in consultation for the operation of parking lots, such as on Aiolou Street, and encourages the use of buses, but also for people to travel on foot.
Impressive events and first fouku at 7:30
Limassol welcomes Tsiknopempti with impressive events. From 7:30 in the morning, the established "Proti Foukou" marks the beginning of the carnival, while at 10:00 the carnival spree follows with music and treats in front of Eurobank (Gladstonos Street) and the Bank of Cyprus (Agiou Andreou Street, opposite Ayia Napa Church). At 1:30 pm, the group "Limassol Serenaders" will sing in Saripolou Square for the whole world, while Grigoris Afxentiou Square at 5:30 pm will come alive with music and song by the band "Lopodytes", in a unique Old School Project.
At 7:00 p.m. the Queen of the Carnival will dress up at the Municipal Hall. The mayor, the municipal council, the Royal Family, the Philharmonic of the Limassol Municipality, the cheerleaders of the Cyprus Guides Corps and the cheerleaders of Limassol will start in procession from the Municipal Hall in the direction of Grigoris Afxentiou Square (Administration Building). The coronation ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m., followed by a carnival party with song and dance entitled "Back to the 80s and 90s".
