Cyprus Rally 2026: gravel stages from Nicosia, 23–25 October

The Cyprus Rally has been organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association since 1970, with the first international edition in 1971. It is one of the best-known gravel rallies in the eastern Mediterranean: it was a round of the World Rally Championship from 2000 to 2006 and again in 2009, of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2010 to 2012 and of the European Rally Championship from 2014 to 2018.

Today it belongs to the FIA Middle East Rally Championship. The rally was not held in 2022 or 2025, so the 2026 event would be the 52nd edition (the 2024 rally was the 51st).

2026 dates. The FIA calendar lists the Cyprus Rally for 23–25 October 2026, round 5 of 6 in the Middle East Rally Championship, between the Rally of Lebanon (11–13 September) and Rally Saudi Arabia (12–15 November). The Cyprus Automobile Association's own 2026 calendar, published on 10 September 2026, lists the International Cyprus Rally on 24–25 October, which are the two competitive days.

Locally it is part of the Honda Rally Challenge 2026 and does not count towards the Cyprus national championship this year. Earlier listings, including the January 2026 Visit Cyprus events programme, gave 9–11 October; those dates are out of date.

2026 schedule. The detailed 2026 itinerary, with stage names and start times, had not been published as of late September 2026. We will update this page when it is. If 2026 follows the 2024 format, expect a ceremonial start in central Nicosia on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday would then each bring three gravel special stages run twice, with a service park in Nicosia between loops and a ceremonial finish on Sunday evening.

How 2024 ran (for reference). The ceremonial start was on Friday 18 October at 17:30 on Spyridaki Square, Makariou Avenue, in the centre of Nicosia. On Saturday the crews tackled Xyliatos (first car 09:33, repeated 14:17), Kapouras (10:01 and 14:45) and Kourdali (11:04 and 15:48), 49.33 km per loop.

On Sunday it was Doryforikos (08:58 and 13:07), Lefkara (09:41 and 13:50) and Yeri (11:04). The second run of the 9.63 km Yeri stage was the Power Stage at 15:43.

The ceremonial finish was back on Makariou Avenue at 17:30. In total the 12 stages covered about 182 km, all on gravel.

Where to watch. Rally spectating in Cyprus happens at the roadside. A few days before the event the organisers publish recommended spectator spots with Google Maps pins on the official website.

In 2024 these were the Kapouras picnic area for the Xyliatos stage, points near Kapouras and Asinou for the Kapouras and Kourdali stages, access from Skarinou for Doryforikos, Vrysi tou Petri (reached via Vavatsinia) for Lefkara, and the jump on the Yeri stage. If you have no car, the ceremonial start and finish in central Nicosia are the easiest way to see the cars and crews up close.

Tickets. No ticket sales have been announced for 2026. The official 2024 spectator guide listed open roadside viewing points with no ticketing, but check the official site closer to the date for any rules on paid or restricted areas.

Safety and road closures. In 2024 each special stage closed to traffic three hours before the first car, so plan to be in position well before then. Never drive along a stage route to reach your spot, because the roads are closed once the stage is live. Stand only where marshals allow, stay behind tape and away from the outside of corners, and follow marshals' instructions at all times.

Getting there. The stages run on mountain and country roads with no public transport, so you need a car. The Xyliatos, Kapouras and Asinou areas are in the Troodos foothills west and south-west of Nicosia.

Lefkara, Skarinou and the Doryforikos area are to the south, towards the Nicosia–Limassol motorway, which makes them the more practical choice if you are staying in Limassol or Larnaca. Yeri is on the south-eastern edge of Nicosia. Use the organisers' map pins and allow extra time for narrow roads and parking on verges.

What to bring. Water and snacks (village cafés are few near the stages), sun protection, sturdy shoes for walking on dusty tracks, and a warm layer: late-October mornings in the hills can be cool even when Nicosia is warm. Bring a charged phone for live timing, and a dust cover or sunglasses, because gravel stages throw up a lot of dust.

Past winners. 2024: Nasser Al-Attiyah and Giovanni Bernacchini (Škoda Fabia R5), his ninth Cyprus Rally win. Panagiotis Yiangou and Aristos Nicolaou were second, and the Qatari brothers Abdulaziz and Nasser Al-Kuwari finished third to clinch the 2024 Middle East title.

2023 (50th edition): Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5). 2021: Alexandros Tsouloftas and Stelios Elia (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5). Al-Attiyah holds the record with nine wins; Sébastien Loeb won four times (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2009).

Following live. In 2024 live timing ran on the Sporttraxx timing site, with news on cyprusrally.com.cy and the rally's X and Facebook accounts. Timing and streaming links for 2026 have not yet been announced.