Cyprus marks carnival season today with colourful parades across three cities, as Aglantzia expects over 8,000 participants and Limassol and Larnaca shut down major seafront roads for celebrations.
The main parades kick off at 11:00 a.m. in Larnaca and half an hour later in Limassol and Aglantzia, with extensive road closures in place across all three cities.
Aglantzia’s 16th carnival
Nicosia Municipality said more than 8,000 carnival participants will take part in Aglantzia’s parade, which starts at 11:30 a.m. at the junction of Kyrenia Avenue and Glafkos Clerides Avenue, finishing at Karava Street.
Children from the Special School of Nicosia dressed as superheroes will open the parade, whilst Carnival King Michalis Sophocleous will make a dramatic entrance on Nicosia’s first tram.
Kyrenia Avenue will be closed from the Glafkos junction to the Karava Street junction, along with connecting side streets, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Drivers should use alternative routes via Glafkos Clerides Avenue towards Kentavrou Street or from Nikos Konstantinou Street towards Trooditissa Street for areas north of Kyrenia Avenue.
For southern areas, traffic will use RIK Avenue, Thessaloniki Street, Egnatia Street and Karava Street.
Limassol children’s parade
Limassol Municipality’s children’s carnival parade begins at 11:30 a.m. from the Seafront Road at the Public Garden traffic lights, heading towards the old port and finishing at the pier parking area below the Red café.
The children’s percussion group Batukinio will lead the parade, followed by the Queen of Passion and Madness of Limassol Carnival on an elaborate float with stilt walkers. The Majorettes of the Cyprus Drivers Corps and Limassol Majorettes will also take part.
28th October Street will close from Archbishop Makarios III Avenue to Independence Street between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., whilst Spyros Araouzou Street will shut from Archbishop Makarios III Avenue to Dimitris Nikolaidi Street from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Larnaca waterfront celebrations
Larnaca’s parade starts at 11:00 a.m. along the waterfront on Athens Avenue, with more than 20 organized groups expected to fill the street with colour and music.
Athens Avenue will remain closed from King Paul Square to Kosmas Lysioti Street from Saturday evening at 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. today. Side roads leading to Athens Avenue will close from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
King Paul Square at the Z. Kitieos Street junction and one lane of Archbishop Makarios III Avenue near Larnaca Police Directorate will close from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for float parking.