Despite its sleepy Mediterranean reputation, North Cyprus is well known for its festivals, music events and nightlife. As soon as the first blossoms of spring arrive, the North Cyprus festival scene explodes into action and there are more and more festivals and events appearing on the calendar every year!

Lasting around six to eight months of the year, visitors and locals alike can attend Turkish Cypriot village festivals that play on the particular speciality that the village lends its name to, or feast on the international l music and culture festivals at some great historical venues in North Cyprus.

Village fairs have grown in popularity over the last few years, and some are extremely popular, enabling the public to see traditions and cultural mainstays of Turkish Cypriot life, as well as giving the local population a chance to show off their skills and wares.

The Olive Festival in Zeytinlik, the Büyükkonuk Festival close to our Thalassa Beach Resort and the superb Bellapais International Music Festival held at the acoustically wonderful Abbey venue, for example, are really popular and are regularly found advertised in the press and various social media platforms.

Festivals also provide entertainment in the form of cookery displays, arts and crafts demonstrations, competitions and also most popular are the folk dance displays, that give a great insight into the skill of the dancers as well as the stories that they tell. You can see and buy lots of local products made in their traditional fashion, and even have a go at making some of them too. Festivals are generally organised by the local municipality, and sponsors are often sought to provide finances for some of the larger exhibitions and displays.

North Cyprus is also becoming well known for its international musical events that never fail to impress – with some big names now attending the most popular events. You can find out about these via the websites set up to promote and detail the names which will be taking part each year. There are a wide range of artists who take part, from classical tenors to Turkish pop singers, as well as some old favourites such as Boney M and Bonnie Tyler who have performed here in the recent past!

You may also come across some internationally famous DJ’s who fly in to North Cyprus regularly over the summer weekends to play their special brand of club dance music at the various 5-Star hotels whose beach clubs and themed venues attract a huge amount of locals and holidaymakers, who dance the night away until the early hours.

There really is something for all tastes and you can pick and choose seemingly every week to attend a diverse range of events and festivals from springtime, well into the late autumn. The North Cyprus festival and events scene is a must when visiting, but even as full time residents we love them just as much!