Opera Under the Stars in Paphos. See you next year.

The Paphos Aphrodite Festival concluded on Saturday, September 5, with the second performance of Gaetano Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore." The square in front of the medieval castle in Kato Paphos was once again transformed into an open-air opera stage, bringing together artists from Armenia and Cyprus.

This was the finale of the 24th edition of the festival – there will be no further performance on Sunday. However, this is not a farewell to the Paphos Opera House. The event is scheduled to return for its 25th year in 2027, and the government is preparing a new, long-term cooperation model to ensure the festival's future and further develop opera on the island.

"Love potion" in front of a medieval castle

This year's Paphos Aphrodite Festival took place over two evenings – September 4 and 5. Both performances began at 7:30 PM, and the official program did not include a performance on Sunday.

This year the audience saw “L’Elisir d’Amore” – “The Elixir of Love” by Gaetano Donizetti, one of the most famous comic operas of the 19th century. The work premiered in 1832, and its most recognizable fragment remains the tenor aria "Una furtiva lagrima."

Over 150 performers

The production was prepared by Alexander Spendiaryan National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet of Armenia in collaboration with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

More than 100 people participated on stage and in the production of the show. 150 singers, musicians and dancers, and the whole event was conducted by Karen Durgaryan, who served as music director of the National Opera of Armenia for 15 years.

Subtitles in Greek and English are available for viewers.

The location itself remains one of the event's strongest elements. The stage is set in a square right next to the port, with the walls of a medieval castle and the Mediterranean Sea as the natural backdrop.

And that is why the opera in Paphos looks completely different from the performance seen in a classic hall.

Donizetti in a post-apocalyptic world

The Armenian production was not a classic staging of 19th-century history.

The creators moved "The Elixir of Love" to symbolic, post-apocalyptic world, leaving Donizetti's original music but giving the entire performance a contemporary visual layer.

However, the plot remained the same.

Nemorino is in love with Adina and believes that a supposed potion he bought from Dr. Dulcamara will allow him to win her affection. Of course, the magical potion has no extraordinary properties, and a series of comic events leads him to discover that sincerity and true feelings are far more important.

The combination of light history with the monumental setting in front of the castle was one of the characteristic elements of this year's edition.

CHECK ALSO
Preparations for the festival meant the temporary closure of the medieval castle in Paphos:
https://cyprnews.pl/zamek-w-pafos-bedzie-zamkniety-przez-piec-dni-powodem-festiwal-operowy/

The festival will return in 2027

And this is the most important information regarding the future of the event.

On the occasion of this year's edition, the authorities confirmed that 2027 will be the year of the 25th edition of the Paphos Aphrodite Festival.At the same time, a new phase of cooperation between the state, the Paphos authorities, and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra is to begin.

The Council of Ministers commissioned the Undersecretariat of Culture to prepare long-term plan for the further development and popularization of opera in Cyprus, with particular emphasis on ensuring the continuity of the festival in Paphos.

This is important because it's no longer just about organizing the next edition. The state wants to create a more sustainable model that will allow the event to thrive for years to come.

The opera is also intended to appeal to young people

The new model is intended to go beyond just the two festival evenings.

The Undersecretariat of Culture announces greater emphasis on educational activities aimed at young people, which are intended to familiarize the next generation with opera and expand its audience.

This year's cooperation with the Armenian theatre also fits into the emerging strategy of Cypriot cultural diplomacy.

The government wants to develop regular collaboration between the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and renowned foreign institutions. Following a joint performance in Paphos, efforts are underway to have the Cypriot Symphony Orchestra also perform at events in Armenia.

Such projects are intended not only to strengthen the international presence of Cypriot culture, but also to enable the exchange of experiences between artists and institutions.

See you in front of the castle next year

Saturday evening therefore closed this year's festival, but not its history.

Following the revival of the event, Paphos now wants to move from hosting the spectacle annually to a more sustainable development model. The 25th edition in 2027 is to be the beginning of this new stage.

It is not yet known which opera will be performed, who will appear on stage or on what exact days the event will take place.

However, one thing is already clear: the curtain fell only on this year.

See you in front of Paphos Castle in 2027.

Sources: Visit Cyprus, Visit Paphos, Cyprus News Agency, Municipality of Paphos, Deputy Ministry of Culture