Kataklysmos, Pentecost by the sea in Larnaca

Kataklysmos is one of those festivals that explain a town. Larnaca has celebrated the Festival of the Flood by the sea for more than a century, at Pentecost, turning it into a week of poetry, music and sport. Here’s how the 2026 edition went, according to Larnaca Municipality, and which dates to watch for the next one. The rest of the calendar is in events in Cyprus.

What it is

Kataklysmos is the Festival of the Flood, linked to Pentecost, and Pentecost Monday is a public holiday across the island. According to Larnaca Municipality, the town’s tradition goes back over a hundred years and draws visitors from all over Cyprus and abroad. With the town turned towards the sea, the festival lives on the Finikoudes promenade.

The 2026 edition

The festival filled six days, from Friday 29 May until Wednesday 3 June, and began on the 29th, at eight in the evening, at the main stand on Finikoudes beach, with a welcome from the mayor, Andreas Vyras. Four stages ran at the same time, the Finikoudes stand, the Europe Square stage, the medieval castle square and the castle’s own stage, with artists from Cyprus and Greece.

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Poetry, music and shadow theatre

The contests are the heart of the programme, in Cypriot poetry, love songs, tsiattista, flute, balos and Cypriot dances. Tsiattista, the duel in verse, has been on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2011. The medieval castle hosted the shadow theatre festival from 29 May to 1 June, and in Kimonos Square craftspeople showed traditional trades step by step from their stalls.

Sport on the water

Larnaca makes the most of its coastline. According to the municipality, Finikoudes hosted beach volleyball and powerboat races, the Larnaca Nautical Club pool held sailing and canoe-kayak races, and the Golden Bay hotel hosted a blitz chess tournament.

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The next edition

Pentecost Monday in 2027 is 21 June, according to the Central Bank of Cyprus; the dates and programme for Kataklysmos 2027 haven’t been published yet. Meanwhile, see Cyprus in June for the weather and crowds in those weeks, or Cyprus in May if the festival falls earlier.

Weather at that time of year

Kataklysmos falls between late May and June, depending on the year. In Larnaca the WMO gives an average high of 26.9 °C in May and 30.8 °C in June, with hardly any rain. Evenings by the sea, when the events begin, are the best time to go.

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Where to stay

The easiest option is to stay near Finikoudes, so you can walk to and from the festival. I compare the town’s options in Larnaca hotels. And if you have a free morning, Larnaca municipal market opens from 7:00.

My tip

An evening on Finikoudes as the contests start, and dinner by the sea.

If you are staying the night, see the best hotel deals in Larnaca for your dates: the well-placed rooms go fast.