European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the opening ceremony for Cyprus’s EU Council presidency on Wednesday evening at the Cyprus Theatre Organisation’s central stage in Nicosia.
European Council President António Costa will also attend the ceremony, along with leaders and government representatives from across Europe and the region, according to the programme.
President Nikos Christodoulides described the occasion as “a moment of pride” for Cyprus in remarks made on Tuesday in Paphos. He said the challenges are many and expressed absolute certainty that “as the Cypriot Presidency, we will meet this institutional obligation to the European Union”.
Other dignitaries attending include European Court of Auditors President Tony Murphy, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will be represented at the ministerial level.
The ceremony will consist of speeches followed by a multi-layered artistic performance directed by Kostas Silvestrou. The performance develops across three acts titled “Memory – Present – Beyond” and will combine music, dance, theatre, image, poetry and digital technologies.
The performance will tell Cyprus’s story through the centuries, highlighting its culture as an integral part of European culture.
CyBC1, CyBC HD, and EBS will broadcast the ceremony live.
After the ceremony, President Christodoulides will host an official dinner for the heads of the 14 official delegations at the Leventis Gallery.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis announced that Christodoulides will hold a joint meeting with Zelenskyy, Costa and von der Leyen.
The president will also hold bilateral talks with Costa on coordinating work on European priorities for the six-month period, within the framework of the presidency’s role in ensuring the Union’s cohesion against international challenges and strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy, security and resilience.
A bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy will focus on European support for Ukraine at a time when such backing remains crucial, with emphasis on efforts for peace, maintaining international legitimacy and protecting the fundamental principles that form the European project.
Christodoulides will also meet Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, with discussions centred on Eastern Mediterranean stability, regional developments and strengthening EU-Southern Neighbourhood cooperation channels.
The president will receive Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi at the presidential palace at 12:30 pm.
The ceremony begins at 6:30 pm. Road closures will be implemented from 2:30 pm around the theatre area, and access will be fully controlled.
Parking will be banned on Dimosthenis Severis Street, Grigoris Afxentiou Street, Michail Karaoli Street, Lord Byron Street, Kostis Palamas Street, Homer Street, Anastasios Leventis Street, Evagoras Street, Diagoras Street and Vasileos Pavlou Street.
Nicosia municipality will not permit parking in the two underground car parks at the old GSP stadium throughout the day.
A ministerial decree (03/2026) strictly prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft (drones) in the wider THOC and Conference Centre areas. The ban applies throughout the entire presidency period.
