The Theatre the Orchestra Refused

How Paphos became a European capital of culture with its main theatre still unfinished.

Local name: Μαρκίδειο Δημοτικό Θέατρο

Collection: Upper Town · Cyprus · Open in OpenStreetMap

Markideio Theatre and its courtyard · Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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How the story begins

In January 2011, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra suspended its concerts in this building until it was upgraded, and told its Paphos audience to go to concerts in Limassol. The complaints: safety, no dressing rooms, unclean toilets. Bringing international soloists here, it said, would be embarrassing. The hall had begun life as a cinema. The town's cultural officer hit back. Concerts here sold out, with hundreds in the seats, when other towns sometimes drew fifty or so.

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Visiting

Andrea Geroudi 18, Paphos. Municipal theatre: go in only for a performance. Check the programme with the municipality; the theatre's listed phone is +357 26222286. Listings show performances in 2026 and into January 2027; check dates before you go.