The Greek capital is ready to toast the summer season with the 1st Athens Cocktail Festival & Athens Cocktail Week.
By Gina Lionatos
With what is fast becoming the hottest bar scene in Europe, it was only a matter of time before Athens stepped up with its own cocktail festival to open the summer tourist season. With the support of the Municipality of Athens, and as a part of the ‘This is Athens Festival’, the city will move to the rhythm of the largest cocktail festival in Greece.
Athens 1st Cocktail Festival
The first Athens Cocktail Festival kicks off over a cocktail-filled two days at the “Lighthouse” of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre on 20 & 21 May 2022.
After that, the action extends to the city’s bars for all to enjoy. Athens Cocktail Week will run from 22 to 28 May 2022 and will see the best bars in Athens hosting a series of guest nights and special events. All the excitement will culminate on the closing night on May 28, 2022, with a large closing party in the city center.
Information on events is still unfolding, so to stay updated, tune into @athenscocktailfestivalofficial’s social media on Instagram for details.
* All the activities of Athens Cocktail Festival & Athens Cocktail Week, are supported by the Municipality of Athens as well as by AMKE Metron Ariston – Making Responsibility a Trend and operating in light of the Responsible Consumption and green practices.
Athens’ Acropolis Museum is inviting visitors to celebrate the European Night of Museums tonight May 14, and International Museum Day on Wednesday, May 18, with extended hours, free entrance and a variety of special events.
The Museum participates in the European Night of Museums with extended opening hours from 8 a.m. until 12 midnight, and free entry from 8 pm onwards.
The Museum restaurant will remain open during the same hours, while visitors have the chance to admire by night the masterpieces of its collections, while on the same day, within the context of the initiative “What does the Acropolis Museum mean to you?”, the most representative answers of visitors received recently by the Museum will be projected on a big screen.
On International Museum Day, the Museum will be open from 8 am to 8 pm with free entry for its visitors.
This year’s topic is the “Power of museums” focusing on achieving sustainability, innovating on digitalization and accessibility and community building through education. On this occasion, the Museum will offer its adult visitors the two new gallery talks “Hidden Stories of the Diaspora” and “Digital Acropolis Museum. New interactive applications”. This includes a series of applications with touch screens, which have remained inactive due to covid-19 healthcare protocols. However, on May 18th, these touch screens will be turned on for three hours and the Museums’ archaeologists will be there presenting and highlighting various aspects of the exhibits; offering a unique experience by creating a new exciting world for kids and grownups alike.
In addition, the new family trail titled “The Parthenon Sculptures. 6 short stories of separation” will be available for children and their parents.
The first Food & Wine pairing session in Athens’ museums, as part of the Athens City Festival, will commence tonight; allowing guests to sip on a fine glass of Pinot Noir while admiring a marvellous 5,000-year-old Cycladic exhibit.
The restaurants of the Acropolis Museum (12/05), The B&E Goulandris Foundation (26/05) and MOMus – Museum Alex Mylona (27/05) are all taking part in the exciting sessions and will be adjusting their menus for the special occasion, highlighting a number of wonderful varieties and labels from a wide range of wineries from all over the country.
For every session, five Greek wine etiquettes will be combined with five dishes made from the finest Greek ingredients by internationally accomplished chefs.
The first session at the Acropolis Museum tonight, titled “Ancient Diet and Wine Tasting” will see the museum’s archaeologists answering questions such as, “What was the relationship of the ancient Athenians with wine?” “How did they drink it and what did they accompany it with?” “But more generally, what did their diet include?” “Which products were local and which were imported?” “And what role did they play in the religious life of the city?” This unique experience will be completed in the restaurant on the second floor with views of the Acropolis, and a meal prepared especially for the occasion accompanied by wine tasting with the support of the “Biblia Chora” Winery.
This is a sell-out event, so make sure you get in quick for the next two sessions, which offer a unique experience not to be missed!
Art lovers in Athens are invited to view hundreds of paintings, sculptures, ceramics and photography with two amazing evenings of art walks through the city- as the Athens Gallery Walk gives visitors the chance to explore a variety of Athenian galleries that feature a wide range of Greek and international art.
Exhibiting a number of art mediums, styles, and local artists, as well as artists from around the world; the 36 Athenian art galleries participating in this year’s event will be open to the public until 8 pm tonight, Thursday, May 12, and tomorrow Friday, May 13; giving visitors the chance to check out their new exhibitions and to meet many of the artists who will be there for an open dialogue.
Gallery SkoufaRebecca Camhi Gallery
The Gallery Walk has been organised by the Athens Culture Net of the Municipality of Athens in collaboration with the Panhellenic Association of Art Galleries (PSAT) and Art Athina, and is part of This is Athens City Festival, which is taking place throughout the entire month of May.
The event is free to the public and aims to promote the cultural potential of Athens and highlight the artistic creation that has contributed decisively in recent years to the evolution of the capital into a centre and modern culture.
Athens’ Culture, Sports, and Youth Organization (OPANDA) will also participate, with exhibitions at five public buildings: the city’s Municipality Gallery, the Municipality Arts Center, the ‘Melina’ Cultural Center, and the foyer of the Olympia Theater.
Zoumboulakis GalleryEleni Koroneou Gallery
Date: 12-13 May 2022
Admission: Free entry
The following galleries are participating in the Gallery Walk:
1. A.antonopoulou.art – Aristofanous 20
2. Agathi Kartalos Art Gallery – Mithimnis 12 & Eptanisou
The Athens Bio Festival, showcasing hundreds of local organic products- and designed to increase awareness of healthy and earth-friendly living- returns for its 2nd edition today, Friday, May 6,at the Technopolis in Gazi.
For three consecutive days (Friday, May 6 through to Sunday, May 8) visitors are invited to discover a very large variety of organic and natural products, as well as the chance to meet a range of organic producers and local eco-friendly businesses who are happy to chat about the benefits of their products.
Food & Drink (with a special vegan area), Natural Beauty, Environment and Health & Nutrition are the festival’s four main categories; and attendees of the event can spend the day participating in crash courses, and watching live cooking demonstrations and presentations.
It’s also a great chance to get your hands on fresh organic fruit and vegetables, as well as vegan products, organic coffee, legumes, pasta, olive oil, dairy products, meat, tea, honey, and herbs; plus beauty, cosmetics, medicinal and household products that are all eco-friendly.
The event is part of the first ‘This is Athens Festival’ taking place throughout the entire month of May, with more than 100 events scheduled all over the Greek capital.
Info
Price:€3 for the public (€5 for two tickets), free admission for professionals
The first ‘This is Athens Festival’ is set to take place throughout the entire month of May, with more than 100 events scheduled all over the Greek capital.
For 30 days, both locals and visitors are invited to explore urban Athens in full bloom with a great selection of exhibitions, street parties, wine pairing at world-renowned museums, open-air movie screenings, picnics, walking tours, theatrical performances, live music concerts, and more.
From a fun-filled all-day picnic at Plato Academy and a cool street party at Varvakeio, to a stunning jazz concert on the terrace of the Acropolis Museum- each event puts the spotlight on Athens’ vibrant and rich art (theatrical and musical performances, galleries, museums), gastronomy, sports and nightlife scene.
‘This is Athens City Festival’ is an initiative of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, which aims to make this an exciting annual event, by promoting activities and performances that appeal to both locals and visitors alike.
Having the pleasant spring weather as its driving force, the ‘Athens City Festival’ events will take place mainly outdoors at carefully selected spots that highlight not only the city’s contemporary history but also its architectural identity.
“Athens is returning to its rhythm and we are creating a celebration for the city, inviting Athenians and visitors to the ‘This is Athens City Festival’, which is set in both the centre and surrounding neighbourhoods,” announced Athens’ Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.
The Festival will kick off on May 1, with a huge picnic filled with food, friends, sun and music. Taking place at the blooming grounds of the Plato Academy Park, famous radio DJ hosts of Athens will soundtrack the day from the early morning to late evening, with dozens of free activities on offer; including movie screenings, kids’ activities, family games and lots of food and drinks.
Click here for more info on tickets and dates, as well as the full program of ‘This is Athens City Festival’.
Throughout the month of May, Greece’s largest food festival will have its doors open in the cool neighbourhood of Gazi, as talented chefs prepare to serve visitors some of the most popular Greek “street food” and other enticing recipes from around the world.
On the 6-7-8, 13-14-15, 20-21-22, as well as the 27-28-29th of May, the 5th edition of the Athens Food Festival will take place at one of Athens’ old depot stations, with the entire space being filled with stalls offering a range of casual international cuisine.
Having hosted over 400,000 visitors so far (prior to the pandemic) the Athens Street Food Festival has become one of the most anticipated cultural events in the Greek capital. This year organisers are expecting thousands more local and international visitors to attend- as they will once again be able to experience a great range of flavours and flair from all corners of the globe- including those of Mexico, Japan, France, Italy, Vietnam, the U.S, and needless to say, Greece!
There will be plenty of traditional Greek street food to try- such as the country’s much-loved souvlaki, spanakopita and loukoumades- plus international favourites like burgers, mac and cheese, tacos, hotdogs, and gelato. The Festival will also be showcasing new food trends that have become popular over the past year.
If you are a foodie who happens to be in Athens during the month of May, do yourself a favour and head over to the old depot station in Gazi, which will be filled with plenty of food, drinks, music and a great vibe!
More details on the programme of the Festival will be announced shortly, so keep an eye out.
Open House Athens 2022 is a popular annual event during which historic buildings, architectural masterpieces and modern abodes -rarely open to the public- can be explored; as visitors are welcome inside to look around.
The free event, which is the 9th edition in Athens, will take place on Saturday the 9th and Sunday, the 10th of April- offering visitors public access and guided tours to more than fifty private and public buildings, monuments, residences and offices.
Open House Athens is the perfect opportunity to spend the weekend outdoors exploring normally off-limits places around town- with tours of the city’s buildings highlighting outstanding cultural heritage and contemporary architecture. There will also be interviews with architects, activities, and special popup events.
Image by Lily AnastasiouImage by Era Pou Image by Nikos Shisios
This year (both in-person and virtually) visitors have the chance to take a peek at the Allouche Benias Gallery, the Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumardiaris, Prodea Loft, Thissios Lofts, Megaron Music Hall, the Italian Embassy, Zillers-Loverdos Mansion, the B & E Goulandris Foundation, SNFCC Library, as well as some of Athens’ newest hotels including The Modernist, the Marriott’s The Moxy and Brown’s Lighthouse Hotel and Dave Red. Some of the neoclassical buildings that can be seen include the National Observatory of Athens, the National Theatre of Greece, the Numismatic Museum; plus many industrial spaces, offices, private homes, museums, libraries, churches and the former Refugee Houses in Ambelokipi will also be explored.
What is Open House Athens?
Athenians and visitors alike are able to view the city on a whole new level, as this popular annual event (for one weekend only) allows the public to get a close look at normally off-limits sites and attractions in the Greek capital. The concept of Open House began in London in 1992 and has since spread to 35 countries around the world. Open House Greece is a non-profit organisation, part of the wider network of Open House Worldwide, which consists of 50 cities and hosts festivals and conversations about architecture, design and cities across the globe.
Athens’ Acropolis Museum is set to welcome visitors for the summer season, by extending its opening hours into the evening and offering stunning night views of the Acropolis from the restaurant terrace every Friday and Saturday until midnight.
The Museum’s hours from April 1 through to October 31, 2022, will be:
Monday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, and Friday, 8:00 am – 10:00 pm.
The Acropolis Museum has also added a new cycle of presentations to the Museum’s archaeological excavation with its ‘Walking in the ancient neighbourhood of the Acropolis Museum’ tour that will take place every Saturday and Monday.
Visitors will be guided by the Museum’s archaeologists, and given the opportunity to wander through the archaeological excavation which stretches underneath the Museum, like a giant exhibit. Visitors will be able to walk on the ancient neighborhood’s streets, take a closer look at the houses with their courtyards and wells, enter the heart of the impressive mansions with private baths, examine the workshops with the water reservoirs; and take a magical stroll through time and the daily life of the people who lived in the shadow of the Acropolis’ rock for over 4,500 years.
Details for the new Presentation are as follows:
English: every Saturday & Monday, at 11 a.m. Greek: every Saturday & Monday, at 1 p.m. Duration: 45 minutes Participation: For registration, refer to the Information Desk at the Museum entrance on the same day. Limited to 20 visitors per session. First-in first-served. Only the general admission fee to the Museum is required (10 €).
The adult gallery talks ‘Afternoons in the Acropolis Museum’ and ‘Saturday in the Museum with 20+1 masterpieces’ will continue as per the winter schedule.
The full program for the highly anticipated Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2022, was announced yesterday, Monday, March 28- with the Greek capital’s annual summer event once again featuring a great range of music, theatre, dance, performances, cinema, workshops, panel discussions and parties.
With 67 productions and 1900 artists from around the globe, the Festival is set to kick off on June 1 and run right through to August 20, 2022.
The Athens and Epidaurus Festival is a highlight of the Greek summer calendar and one of the oldest continuously running festivals in Europe. Spanning 66 years, the Festival has welcomed some of the greatest music, dance, and theatre artists of the international and local scene, in collaboration with the most prestigious Greek and international organisations, attracting large audiences from around the world.
Performances will take place at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Greek and international productions, partnerships and shows by foreign artists will be included in the 2022 program, which will be staged at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the little theatre of Ancient Epidaurus, and Peiraios 260, announced Artistic Director of the Festival, Katerina Evangelatos.
“Today was a special day for us all, as we succeeded in meeting each other again in person after two years of unprecedented difficulties and challenges, to share with you everything that we have prepared, to remember remarkable events from the past and dream for the future that is ahead,” said Evangelatos as she presented the new program to the ministers of Culture and Sports, friends and partners of the Festival, various artists and the Press.
Some of the highlights include the big Greek National Opera production Rigoletto, Giuseppe Verdi’s dark masterpiece, which will be conducted by Lukas Karytinos and directed by Artistic Director Katerina Evangelatos; as well as Tosca, which is an opera classic that will be performed by prominent Greek and international soloists and has been chosen as the Festival’s huge season finale.
Music performances will include a concert by famous Greek singer George Dalaras; works by Beethoven, Rimsky Kosakov will be performed by the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra along with Zoi Tsokanou and Daniel Lozakovich; Dimitris Papadimitriou, arguably one of the greatest contemporary Greek composers, will present a selection of songs from his rich body of work; and Maria Farantouri will invite audiences to enjoy a magical evening in memory of the late Mikis Theodorakis, as a tribute to his invaluable legacy.
For those lucky enough to be in Athens over the summer, make sure that you check out the annual Festival, which truly is a magical experience.
Ticket booking for all venues will begin online on Friday, May 14th, at 13:00, for performances scheduled to take place in June, July, and August.
Having first opened its doors in 1895, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus immediately became a jewel in Athens, as well as a cultural landmark of the city – offering inspiration and creation for the Greek theatre and music scene.
Considered a theatre of rich history and beauty, it is housed in a grand neoclassical building designed by architect Ioannis Lazarimos, who through his work on this project was able to highlight some of the finest examples of 19th Century Greek architecture.
Outside the theatre
The style of the building is described as “classicist”, and is highly influenced by German architect Ernst Moritz Theodore Ziller, who designed hundreds of buildings in Athens and was the most famous architect in Greece at the end of the 19th Century.
The façade of the theatre features four Corinthian columns and a condiment; inside, the stage is considered one of the last surviving monuments of the Baroque era in Europe. It consists of a proscenium and a space for the orchestra, and the auditorium features 1300 seats with stalls, boxes, and balconies that are arranged over four levels.
The main room was lit by an enormous chandelier, which can still be seen today. There were also spacious dressing rooms and a luxurious sitting lounge for the actors, while the two-level foyer also hosted balls and exhibitions by renowned Greek artists.
Over the years, a range of prominent Greek directors and actors have performed on this stage and it’s considered one of the best theatres in the country. Hosting both theatrical and musical performances, events and exhibitions has played a major role in the city’s cultural scene.
One of Greece’s most beautiful theatres
Since it first opened, regular maintenance work was done to keep it fresh and inviting, and in 2008, a complete restoration began. In 2013, the stunning building re-opened its doors to the public and curtains were raised once again.
Today, the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus is an imposing neoclassical monument with an exceptional stage, fully operational, with a unique flair. Its extraordinary architecture design still shines through and is worth viewing close up when you are visiting the area, and if you happen to be able to catch a show here, you will undoubtedly be impressed.
After two years of dreary isolation and low-key gatherings, this Christmas season Athens is alive with numerous events.
From the festively twinkly streets, Christmas trees and pretty ornaments, various corners of the city are filled with Christmas villages, merry gatherings for people of all ages, fun ice rinks, loud music, creative performances and more.
The Capital’s Largest Ice Rink
Until January 6, from 10 am-8 pm, ice skaters can enjoy practising artful pirouettes (or just landing on their behinds several times in a row) in Kotzia Square on Stadiou St. The largest ice rink in Athens, with a total area of 400m sq, keeps ice skaters entertained for hours. An online reservation is required through the pagodromio.christmasinathens.gr platform.
Ice skating in the Greek capital
The Return of the Christmas Factory
Children can enjoy Christmas games, rides, and sweets at the Christmas Factory in Technopolis in Gazi. At the open-air Christmas marketplace, you’ll find 30 stands selling everything from seasonal decorations, toys, sweets, good luck charms and 15 food stands serving sweet and savoury dishes. Children can ride on the carousel, bumper cars and even a Ferris wheel while admiring beautiful Christmas décor. On weekends, activities and games, as well as musical and theatrical performances, take place. Until January 6.
Xmas DJs Hit the City
Producers from the City of Athens’s official radio station, Athina 9.84 will be DJing a Christmas soundtrack for shoppers and passers-by in the city’s most central areas around Syntagma Square, shopping boulevard Ermou St, around Monastiraki and Kotzia Square. Meanwhile, the Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing musical pop-up events, adding live entertainment to get those festive vibes rising.
Lively Christmas Villages in Various Neighbourhoods
From Acharnon and Kypseli to Pagrati and Goudi, neighborhoods of Athens will be transformed into ‘Christmas villages’ from December 17 to January 7. Santa Claus and his elves will welcome passers-by with crafts, sweets, Christmas hand-painting workshops and other festive activities. Stilt walkers, jugglers, Christmas characters, animators, puppets and magicians will be there too, adding to the seasonal fun. The Christmas villages will be open from 11 am -7 pm at Messolonghi Sq in Pagrati, Agia Aikaterini Sq in Kato Petralona, Athanassiou Diakou Sq in Kato Patisia, Agios Eleftherios – Acharnon, Victoria Sq in Kypseli and Agios Thomas Sq in Goudi.
Festivities on every corner of Athens
Christmas Street Food Village
Athens’ first Christmas Street Food village is set up outside the Christmas Theater, an entire Christmas village with wooden houses that will serve up flavours from around the world. Try tasty French crêpes and American hotdogs or Mexican churros and Middle Eastern falafel, Italian pizza, Russian piroshki and heart-warming soups. Until January 6, at the Indoor Olympic Stadium of Galatsi.
The Tree of Freedom
In celebration of the Bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, decorate a giant tree with ceramic creations by the OPANDA Ceramics Centre. Meanwhile explore an exhibit of ceramic art like angels, doves and other festive items. The event is open from Tuesday to Friday from 11 am – 7 pm, and on weekends from 10 am- 3 pm at the Angeliki Chatzimichali Museum of Folk Art and Tradition.
The Acropolis Museum in Christmas Spirit
Interactive festive programmes for kids, evening walks in the exhibition spaces (every Friday at 8:30 pm except from 24/12 and 31/12), Christmas carols, unique gifts at the museum store and seasonal sweets in the restaurant are prepared to offer visitors special memories. The Acropolis Museum invites children aged 4 to 11 years old to participate in an interactive festive programme designed to help them express themselves through music. Visiting days are on 29/12 and 30/12 at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm & 2:30 pm.
Programs organised by the City of Athens
St. Petersburg Classical Ballet of Russia’s Christmas Performance
The Nutcracker, the beloved ‘Christmas ballet’ will be staged on 25/12 and 26/12 at 8:30 pm at the Christmas Theater in Galatsi. The Classical Ballet of St. Petersburg, made up of prolific dancers from the famous Kirov (Mariinsky) corps de ballets, will be in Athens this Christmas with 60 performers to enchant audiences with the most magnificent Christmas fairy tale.
Swinging Christmas
On December 30 at 8:30 pm, get ready for a “Swinging Christmas” with the Athens Big Band starring Stavros Romanos and Jenny Kapadais with songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, at the Olympia Municipal Music Theater ‘Maria Callas’. On New Year’s Eve at the same location, say adieu to 2021 at the festive concert “The 12 Days of Christmas” with songs and hymns from around the world, and welcome in 2022 with a New Year Opera Gala on January 13 at a concert dedicated to love, with famous arias and a duet of the most popular operas, conducted by Nikolas Nägele.
Christmas Eve Wish Lanterns
On Christmas Eve, the sky above Kotzia Sq will be filled with lanterns representing the Night of Wishes. Those present are promised the dreamy experience of watching an impressive audio-visual show by the Athens Digital Arts Festival with the Athens City Hall as a backdrop.
Christmas at the SNFCC
SNFCC lights up during Christmas
On Monday, December 27, at 8.30 pm, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) will present the ERT National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the award-winning conductor George Petrou at the Stavros Niarchos Hall. The seasonal concert will include the popular waltz and polka tunes as well as excerpts from operettas by composers from 19th century Vienna traditionally heard at this time of year to create a fuzzy festive buzz.
From December 18 to January 6, as part of the SNFCC Christmas World, the lighthouse Terrace is transformed into an impressive pop-up bar, specially designed for the holiday season, is making an entrance in the city. Designed by architect & set designer Elina Loukou, the 360 Christmas Pop-up Bar turns into a festive bar of contemporary aesthetics. The experience is complemented by beloved DJs and music producers, and a large selection of cocktails.
