Drone show in Paphos and Cyprus goes green. European Donation Day begins.

Cyprus is hosting this year's European Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation Day. The celebrations will run from October 8th to 10th, with the main events taking place in Paphos. A public ceremony with a drone demonstration is planned for Friday evening at the castle in the harbor. On Friday and Saturday, selected buildings in Cyprus' five main cities will be illuminated in green.

The event, titled "Sharing Lives," aims to highlight the importance of organ donation and honor donors and their families. This year's event coincides with two important anniversaries on the island: the 40th anniversary of organ transplantation and the 30th anniversary of bone marrow transplantation.

Drone show at Paphos Castle

The most spectacular point of the program will be the drone show during the official opening ceremony in Friday, October 9The event will take place in the evening in the square next to the medieval castle in Paphos Harbour and will be open to the public.

The show is intended to honor over 1,000 organ donors and over 1,000 bone marrow donors. The program also includes presentations, donor and recipient stories, and video messages.

Personal testimonies will demonstrate how donation transforms the lives of patients and their loved ones. The ceremony will combine a spectacle over the harbor with a vote of thanks to those who made the transplants possible.

Cyprus will light up green

On Friday and Saturday, October 9–10, selected landmark buildings in five major cities in Cyprus will be illuminated green. The campaign color symbolizes support for donation and transplantation.

Thanks to the illuminations, the celebrations will also be visible beyond Paphos. Organizers have announced that selected landmarks, not all the major buildings in individual cities, will be illuminated.

The Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg will also join the initiative. The green light is intended to express gratitude to donors, their families, and healthcare workers.

Promenade run and educational activities

The celebrations will include a three-kilometer run along the Kato Paphos seafront promenade. Educational activities in schools, information stands, and initiatives in collaboration with patient organizations are also planned.

Their goal is to raise awareness of organ, tissue, and cell donation among residents. The campaign aims to encourage conversation and informed decision-making, as well as to demonstrate the importance of transplantation for those awaiting help.

European Donation Day - the most important information

October 8–10, 2026 Paphos

Celebration of the European Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation Day under the slogan "Sharing Lives".

Friday, October 9th evening

A public ceremony at the medieval castle in Paphos Harbor. A drone demonstration and stories of donors and recipients.

Friday and Saturday, October 9–10

Green illuminations of selected buildings in the five main cities of Cyprus.

Saturday, October 10th · Attikon in Paphos

International conference on donation and transplantation.

The exact start time of the drone show was not provided in verified announcements from the organizers.

Specialists will meet in Attikon

An international conference on donation and transplantation will be held at Attikon in Paphos on Saturday, October 10. Experts will discuss cooperation between countries, ethical issues, and effective transplant programs.

The conference will also be an opportunity to present the Cypriot Action Plan on Donation and Transplantation. On October 9, the Karaiskakio Foundation will organize a workshop on the implementation of European regulations on substances of human origin, known as SoHO.

The program therefore combines events for residents with a scientific part and meetings of people responsible for the development of transplantology.

European event with Cypriot anniversaries

European Donation Day is an initiative of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare, part of the Council of Europe. This year's celebrations are being organized by the Cypriot Ministry of Health and the Transplant Council, with the support of the Karaiskakio Foundation and in collaboration with the EDQM.

Two anniversaries—40 years of organ transplantation and 30 years of bone marrow transplantation—give the event special significance for Cyprus. The commemorations are intended to both commemorate achievements and highlight the ongoing needs of patients.

The most accessible event for residents and tourists will be Friday's ceremony at Paphos Castle. There, a drone show will combine the European campaign with a symbolic thank-you to donors.

Sources: EDQM, Ministry of Health of Cyprus, Karaiskakio Foundation.