Over 2,000 guests were transported through the Pano Arodes legends as the festival’s new format brought everyone together.

Pano Arodes, Cyprus. On 8 August, one of the most picturesque villages in Akamas was transformed for one evening into a realm of myths, light, music and adventure. The Festival of Myths and Legends “Reborn of the Phoenix” in Pano Arodes attracted over 2,000 guests - not counting local residents - and presented an experience that was unusual for Cyprus.

Instead of a single central venue and the usual stage programme, the organisers invited guests to embark on a journey through the village itself. The streets, squares, old houses and picturesque corners of Pano Arodes became part of a single spectacle featuring light installations, workshops, historical characters, music, re-enactments and interactive stations.

The idea was simple. Not to watch the festival from the sidelines, but to step into it and become a participant.

A major quest through Pano Arodes took centre stage in the programme. Moving from one point to the next, guests discovered little-known corners of the village, learnt about local stories and legends, and at the same time became the heroes of their own little adventure.

Behind the fairy-tale setting lay very simple – and perhaps for that very reason, timeless – ideas: good must triumph, one should keep an open heart, and people grow stronger when they help one another.

As the festival’s organisers say: ‘To preserve a legend, you don’t necessarily have to put it in a museum. Sometimes it’s enough to invite people to walk through it.’

From a village festival to a living journey

The festival became an experiment with a new format for cultural events.

The traditional stage remained, but ceased to be the sole focal point of the event. A multinational concert programme, music, songs, historical re-enactments and exhibition battles featuring warriors from different eras became part of a much larger space that encompassed Pano Arodes.

The highlight of the evening was a grand theatrical fire show featuring an international team of performers.

In this way, the festival turned into a unique ‘cityfest’ within the village- visitors chose their own route, moving from one story to the next and gradually discovering Pano Arodes for themselves.

People from various parts of the island, including Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol, travelled to Pano Arodes.

At the end of the evening, the organisers received a great deal of enthusiastic feedback, with some visitors describing the event as one of the best festivals they had attended in Cyprus this year.

But the number of guests was not the only significant outcome.

The festival gave a significant boost to collaboration within Pano Arodes itself. Local cafés and tavernas, wine producers, craftspeople and artisans were given their own slot in the programme and the opportunity to showcase themselves to thousands of visitors.

In this way, the cultural event also served as a tool for promoting small local businesses and the rural community.

Who is behind the festival?

11 young Europeans and one village… A great deal of international work went into the festival.

As part of the ESC Group Volunteering project, 11 young people — eight from Latvia and three from Cyprus — worked alongside a local team to prepare the festival venue, interactive areas and programme.

The project was coordinated by the Latvian organisation Kulturas biedriba ‘Alternativa Realitate’, with the OSMTJ Foundation Cyprus acting as the host organisation.

The initiative served as an example of how the European Solidarity Corps can work directly with small rural communities: young people do not simply visit Cyprus as guests, but work alongside local residents to create an event that remains a part of life for many.

The idea for the festival was proposed by Marinos Lambrou, the mayor of the Akamas municipality, and implemented with the help of Pano Arodes’ mayor, Matheos Stephanou.

For the volunteers, the project served as a practical training ground in event organisation, international communication, teamwork and engagement with the local community. For Pano Arodes, it was an opportunity to present itself in a completely new light.

The story is only just beginning

Over 2,000 visitors demonstrated that this experiment with an interactive festival was well received.

The organisers, the OSMTJ Foundation Cyprus, have already stated that they have no intention of resting on their laurels. The team’s next event in Pano Arodes is already planned for Christmas.

But the principle will remain the same- not to create a festival that people simply come to watch, but to create a world they can step into.

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