The International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama is the annual cultural event that takes Cypriot and international theatre companies to the Roman Odeon inside the Paphos Archaeological Park and other ancient venues across the island. Plays by Sophocles, Aristophanes, Euripides, and Aeschylus are performed under the open sky, on stone seating that has held audiences for two thousand years. The Paphos performances are the southern leg of the festival; further productions take place at the Curium amphitheatre near Limassol.
The festival is organised by the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute under the patronage of the Cypriot Ministry of Education and Culture, and runs annually in summer.
Ancient Drama at the Ancient Odeon
The Roman Odeon at the Paphos Archaeological Park is a small amphitheatre — partial seating for around 1,200 — built in the second century AD for civic gatherings and musical or theatrical performances. The structure was partly restored in the late twentieth century; the original stone seating survives in the lower tiers, with reconstructed wooden seating above. The acoustic of the open theatre is, even now, remarkably faithful to the actors on the stage.
When Aristophanes is performed here, you are watching a play first staged in fifth-century BC Athens, in a Roman venue built in the second century AD, on an island that has been Greek-speaking for three thousand years. The continuity is part of the experience.
What's Staged
The festival programme rotates each year. Typically:
- One or two tragedies by Sophocles, Euripides, or Aeschylus.
- One or two comedies by Aristophanes.
- Companies from Greece, Cyprus, and occasional international participants — most performances in Greek, with surtitles or programme notes for non-Greek-speaking audiences.
- Performances at multiple venues — the Paphos Odeon, the Curium amphitheatre, and occasionally other archaeological sites.
Tickets are available through the Cyprus Centre of the International Theatre Institute — official body, current programme.
From Annabelle
The Roman Odeon is inside the Paphos Archaeological Park, ten minutes' walk along the seafront promenade from Annabelle. Festival evenings are usually a single performance, starting around 8.30pm, finishing by 10.30pm. Bring a cushion for the stone seating, a light wrap for the cooler late evening, and water.
Pair the performance with a daytime visit to the rest of the Paphos Archaeological Park — most Park visitors miss the Odeon's role as a working performance venue.
Find your way to the Paphos Odeon on
Google Maps.