Children's Theatre and Cinema in Cyprus: Family Shows, English Pantos and Kids' Film Screenings

Children's theatre in Cyprus follows the main theatre season from autumn to late spring, with weekend morning shows by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC), touring companies and municipal theatres across the island. Most shows are in Greek, but they are usually so visual, musical and short that children who do not speak Greek still enjoy them. English-language shows are rarer and cluster around Christmas, when amateur groups stage pantomimes. For films, the big cinemas show family releases in Greek-dubbed and original versions, and there are free children's film festivals in spring and outdoor screenings in summer.

Below we explain where to look, which venues to know in each city, how to deal with the language question, and what is on this season (November 2026).

How does children's theatre work in Cyprus?

• Season: THOC's 2026–27 season runs until May 2027, and most touring children's shows play during the school year.
• Times: many children's shows are on Saturday or Sunday mornings, typically at 10:30 or 11:00.
• Language: almost all are in Greek. Some productions offer English surtitles at selected performances, and the Mitsikouri festival favours shows with little or no dialogue.
• Tickets: bought online through the venue or ticketing sites, at the box office, or, for some touring shows, at courier outlets. Check the age from which children need their own ticket (from age 2 for some shows).

THOC: the state theatre's shows for young audiences

The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) is the island's state theatre, based at 9 Grigori Afxentiou Street in Nicosia. Alongside its main programme, it produces shows for children and young people under its Stage 018 label and tours them around the island.

This season's production for primary school children is a new, poetic version of Little Red Riding Hood by Andri Theodotou, directed by Fotis Nikolaou. It plays on Sunday mornings in Nicosia and tours to Paphos, Larnaca and Limassol. It is in Greek, and THOC is offering English and Turkish surtitles at some performances, which makes it one of the easiest Greek-language shows for international families. Check performance dates and book on thoc.org.cy; THOC also tours a production for secondary schools this season.

Festivals for children and young people

• Mitsikouri: the international performing arts festival for children and young people is organised each October by ASSITEJ Cyprus, the national branch of the international association of theatre for children and young people. It brings productions for ages 0 to 18 from Cyprus and abroad, and most are non-verbal, so language is rarely a barrier. The first edition in 2024 used seven venues in Nicosia, Limassol and Lefkara; the 2026 festival in October spread to all five districts. Watch for the next programme in September.
• Christmas: December brings Christmas shows and English pantomimes (see below). Our guide to Christmas with kids in Cyprus collects more festive ideas.

Touring family shows and municipal theatres

Much of the children's programme comes from touring companies that play municipal theatres for one or two performances in each town. They are well publicised by tourism boards and ticket sites.

Two examples from 2026 show what to expect. The Limassol Tourism Board listed The Seven Little Goats and the Wolf by Theatre Vestiario on a tour across Cyprus from 24 October to 7 November 2026, opening at Pattihio Theatre, with tickets from €12. In July 2026, Paw Patrol: Action Now! played Pattihio on a Sunday at 10:30, with tickets at €12 for everyone aged 2 and over, sold through Ticketmaster, ACS Courier outlets and the box office on the day.

In Nicosia, Theatro Ena also hosts free storytelling for children in its foyer on two Sunday mornings a month this season, in Greek; book by phone on 22 348203.

Is there children's theatre in English?

Yes, mostly in December, and mostly by amateur English-speaking groups:

• Stage One Theatre, Emba (Paphos): a long-running English-language amateur theatre group with its own theatre in Emba. It has staged a December pantomime in recent years, including Cinderella in 2023, Rumpelstiltskin in 2024 and Old Mother Hubbard in 2025, usually with evening performances. Check its website in November for this season's show and book early.
• Anglo-Cypriot Theatre, Nicosia: known for Christmas pantomimes; in 2024 it staged The Little Mermaid at the Satiriko Theatre in mid-December. It has no fixed home, so check the venue on your ticket.
• Youth theatre: English-speaking youth groups also stage family shows from time to time, such as Little Muse Youth Theatre's The Twits in Larnaca in 2024. Look for them on ticket sites such as Soldout Ticketbox.

Cinema with children: dubbed or original?

The main cinema chains are K-Cineplex (Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos, where it is inside Kings Avenue Mall), Rio in Limassol and Premier Cinemas at Nicosia Mall. Family and animated films are often shown in two versions: dubbed into Greek, often at earlier screenings, and in the original language. At K-Cineplex, a listing marked GR is the Greek-dubbed version; listings without it are generally in the original language. Check the label before you buy, especially for the first weekend of a big release.

Children's film festivals and programmes

• Cyprus Film Days, children's and youth strand: the international festival, co-organised by the Deputy Ministry of Culture's Department of Contemporary Culture and Rialto Theatre, includes award-winning films for children and young people. In 2026 it ran from 17 to 25 April at K-Cineplex Strovolos in Nicosia and Rialto in Limassol, with free screenings and free film workshops on acting, screenwriting and camera work (places limited, online registration). Films are subtitled in Greek, and each carries an age rating; in 2024, films rated K were suitable from age 4.
• STYX First Encounters, Nicosia: this autumn, STYX Film Encounters is running a new film-education programme for children at the Pantheon cinema in old Nicosia, alternating Saturday workshops for ages 7 to 10 with screenings of family classics. Each event can be booked on its own; email styxfilmencounters@gmail.com for details.
• Free summer cinema: some municipalities run free outdoor screenings in summer. In July 2026, for example, the South Nicosia–Idalion Municipality showed family films, some in Greek-dubbed versions, at the Dali municipal amphitheatre, with screenings at 20:30. Check your municipality's website in June.

How to find out what's on

• Visit Cyprus events calendar: the Deputy Ministry of Tourism's island-wide listing, searchable by date.
• Regional tourism boards: the Limassol Tourism Board events pages list family shows with dates, venues and prices; Visit Nicosia lists the capital's theatres.
• Venues: THOC, Pattihio, Markideio, Rialto and the Nicosia theatres publish their own programmes.
• Ticket sites: Soldout Ticketbox and Ticketmaster Cyprus carry most children's shows; search for "παιδική παράσταση" (children's show) to catch Greek-only listings.
• Our events page lists upcoming events across Cyprus.

Tips for theatre and cinema with children

• Choose visual shows for children who do not speak Greek: fairy tales they already know, puppetry, music and dance work best.
• Ask about surtitles. THOC and some other companies offer English surtitles at selected performances only.
• Book ahead for Sunday morning shows and pantomimes; small venues sell out.
• Arrive 20 minutes early to park, collect tickets and find seats.
• Check the film version (GR or original) and the age rating before you buy cinema tickets.
• On wet days, see our rainy day activities with kids in Cyprus for more indoor ideas.

What to do next

1. Look up this weekend on the Visit Cyprus events calendar and your local theatre's page.
2. Book a THOC performance with English surtitles, or a December pantomime in English.
3. Put the Cyprus Film Days (April) and the Mitsikouri festival (October) in your calendar.
4. For more family outings, see things to do with kids in Cyprus.