Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

Discover the best events taking place in Athens during the month of October. 

As autumn sets in, Athens comes alive with a variety of cultural events to relish. From open-air music concerts under the starry sky to marvelous art exhibitions and festivals, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Embrace the season and immerse yourself in the cultural richness with our top picks for this month.

Vegan Life Festival Athens 2023
Insights Greece - Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

Europe’s most popular vegan festival is back! Since 2016, Vegan Life Festival has been drawing crowds from all over the continent. With two days packed with exciting stuff- you’ll have the opportunity to attend hands-on cooking workshops, insightful panels, a vegan products bazaar, live music, and even a speed dating event for a chance to make some new pals who share your passion for cruelty-free eats. But Vegan Life Festival isn’t just about having a good time – the organisation also has a strong focus on animal rights and initiatives that collect food for those in need.

Entry: Free

Date & Time: 1 October, 11 am- 11pm

Αddress: Peiraios 100, Athens, cultural venue of “Technopolis”

“Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead”
Insights Greece - Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

This theatrical play is part crime, part thriller and part comedy. The new production of the iconic Complicité theatre group is based on the multi-translated novel by Nobel Prize for Literature laureate Olga Tokarczuk. Created and directed by Simon McBurney, it questions why is the killing of animals a sport and a hobby and that of humans a murder. A thought-provoking, wry, and otherworldly murder mystery tale about the cosmos, poetry, and the limitations and possibilities of activism has audiences captivated. The performance is in English with Greek surtitles.

Entry: €10-€60

Date 4-7 October, Wednesday-Friday 8.30 pm, Saturday 2.30 pm & 8.30 pm

Tickets: tickets.onassis.org

Αddress: Onassis Stegi 107-109 Syggrou Avenue 1745 Athens, Greece

Website: onassis.org

Seong-Jin Cho at the Athens Concert Hall
Insights Greece - Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

For the talented Seong-Jin Cho, winning the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition most important piano competition in the world – was just the springboard to begin his brilliant career, gaining global fame and becoming the first pianist from his country to do so. The South Korean classical pianist begins another new season at the Athens Concert Hall for a highly acclaimed solo recital that is dominated by two benchmark works of the piano repertoire: Ravel’s imposing Miroirs and Liszt’s explosive Dante Fantasia.

Entry: Ticket prices: €11 – €60

Date & Time: 25 October, 8.30 pm

Address: The Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), 115 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, Athens, 115 21

Website: megaron.gr

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Dmitri Shostakovich
Insights Greece - Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

The Greek National Opera is bringing back one of the most outstanding productions to have graced its stage in recent years. Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, an iconic opera of the 20th century and a breathtaking Dmitri Shostakovich masterpiece– is returning to the Stavros Niarchos Hall this month. Conducting is Fabrizio Ventura, while the production’s staging is by Fanny Ardant, working with an all-star international creative team. This timeless masterpiece distinctly sets itself apart as it tackles the place of women within pre-revolutionary rural Russia and captures the audience from start to finish.

Entry: €10-€90

Date 21, 24, 27, 31 October, Performance times: 7.30 pm, Sunday 6.30 pm

Tickets: ticketservice.gr

Αddress: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Syggrou Avenue 364, 17674 Kallithea

Website: nationalopera.gr

Homecoming | Cycladic treasures on their return journey
Insights Greece - Ultimate Events Guide to Athens in October

The highly anticipated exhibition “Homecoming. Cycladic treasures on their return journey” will include a display of 15 antiquities for the first time worldwide. Presented by the Museum of Cycladic Art in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and this is the first step of the historic agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Museum of Cycladic Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (The Met), that foresees the gradual return to Greece of 161 Early Cycladic antiquities of the unique archaeological value of the American collector Leonard Stern. Following this, the entire collection will be exhibited at The Met, before the final return of the entirety of these antiquities to Greece.

Entry: €6

Date & Time: 1-31 October, daily except Tuesdays

Tickets: cycladic.gr

Αddress: Stathatos Mansion Vasilissis Sofias ave. & 1, Irodotou str., Athens

Website: cycladic.gr

Image by Paris Tavitian © Museum of Cycladic Art

Pool Your Cinema Returns at the Hotel Grande Bretagne 

Athens’ Hotel Grande Bretagne is welcoming guests to experience a unique outdoor summer cinema event in the heart of the city, with their Pool Your Cinema 2022 nights. 

Located at the GB Pool Bar area on the 7th floor of the landmark hotel, with amazing and uninterrupted views of Lycabettus Hill, guests are able to catch all-time classic favourites, Hollywood blockbusters, and romantic comedies on the big screen, while savoring the delightful finger food menu, prepared by the hotel’s Executive Chef Asterios Koustoudis. 

From mini cheeseburgers and handmade pizza to caramelized popcorn and ice cream, guests can also grab a wine, beer, or cocktail as they watch a film under the stars! 

Screenings are taking place over the next few weeks, with films including Dial M for Murder, as well as Take The Money and Run, French Dispatch, and The Full Monty.

Bookings are allowed until one day prior to the film screening and details can be found below. 

Price: €50 (includes menu and a glass of wine or beer) 

Until: 10 July 2022

Address: Hotel Grande Bretagne, 1 Vasileos Georgiou A, Syntagma 

Pool Your Cinema

Athens Open Air Cinema Week 2022 

There’s nothing like sitting back and taking in a film under the stars at one of Athens’ open-air cinemas; and to celebrate this memorable experience, the Greek Capital’s Open Air Cinema Week begins on Thursday, May 26, 2022. 

Located in the city’s urban alleyways, lush gardens, green parks, charming courtyards, and cool terraces (with the Acropolis as a backdrop) the open-air cinema is a summer tradition in Athens; one that both locals and visitors look forward to for many reasons.

Balmy evenings, soda and popcorn in hand, amazing atmosphere, and some of the best films on the big screen- a perfect way to escape the buzzing streets of Athens for a few hours.  

And the Open Air Cinema Week, which is part of the brand new Athens City Festival, is set to bring all these things to life on Thursday at Eleftherias Park, right next to the Athens Concert Hall, as well as at the American Embassy, which boasts a gorgeous view of Mount Ymittos.

Both these spots will be the hosting grounds for this much-anticipated event, which will have contemporary Greek cinema as the theme- so visitors can really get a feel of Greece’s current arts and culture scene- right under the stars! 

Click here for more info on tickets and dates, as well as the full program of This is Athens City Festival.

Info

Tickets: Free admission

Date: 26 May 2022 – 29 May 2022

Time: TBA

A: Eleftherias Park, Eleftherias Park, Ambelokipi 

Image Courtesy of This is Athens ©

1st Athens Cocktail Festival & Cocktail Week Ready to Kick Off

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.

Insights Greece - 1st Athens Cocktail Festival & Cocktail Week Ready to Kick Off
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.  

Pre-sale tickets to Athens Cocktail Festival include two cocktails and are available through viva.gr at  https://www.viva.gr/tickets/festival/athens-cocktail-festival/

 * 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.

Insights Greece - 1st Athens Cocktail Festival & Cocktail Week Ready to Kick Off

Main image by This Is Athens | Amalia Kovaiou ©

Celebrate A Range of Special Events at the Acropolis Museum 

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. 

More details can be found here

Images Courtesy of Acropolis Museum | Paris Tavitian | Giorgos Vitsaropoulos ©

Athens City Festival ’22: Food & Wine Pairing Museum Sessions 

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! 

Info

Tickets: €50

Date: 12 May 2022 – 27 May 2022

Check the festival’s full program for more info.

Image Courtesy of Acropolis Museum 

Exploring Athens’ Art Scene With an Amazing Gallery Walk

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. 

Insights Greece - Exploring Athens' Art Scene With an Amazing Gallery Walk
Gallery Skoufa
Insights Greece - Exploring Athens' Art Scene With an Amazing Gallery Walk
Rebecca 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.

Insights Greece - Exploring Athens' Art Scene With an Amazing Gallery Walk
Zoumboulakis Gallery
Insights Greece - Exploring Athens' Art Scene With an Amazing Gallery Walk
Eleni 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

3. Alibi Gallery – Sarri 12

4. AlloucheBenias Gallery – Kanari 1

5. ALMA Contemporary Art Gallery – Ipsiladou 24

6. Argo Gallery – Neofitou Douka 5

7. Art Appel Gallery – Neofitou Vamva 5

8. ArtZone42 – Vasileos Konstadinou 42

9. ASTROLAVOS Art Galleries – Xanthipou 11

10. Athens Art Gallery – Glikonos 4

11. CHEAPART – Andrea Metaxa 25

12. CITRONNE Gallery – Patriarhou Ioakim 19, 4th floor

13. Crux Galerie – Sekeri 4

14. Ekfrasi-Yianna Grammatopoulou Gallery – Valaoritou 9Α

15. Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery – Iraklitou 3

16. Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Dimofondos 30

17. Ersi Gallery – Kleomenous 4

18. Evripides Art Gallery – Iraklitou 10

19. Gallery 7 – Solonos 20

20. Gallery Genesis – Haritos 35

21. Ikastikos Κiklos – Akadimias 6

22. Ileana Tounta – Armatolon & Klefton 48

23. Kalfayan Gallery – Haritos 11

24. Peritechnon Karteris Art Gallery – Irodotou 5

25. Rebecca Camhi Gallery – Leonidou 9

26. Roma Gallery – Roma 5

27. Sianti Gallery – Vasileos Alexandrou 2

28. Gallery Skoufa – Skoufa 4

29. Technohoros Art Gallery – Lebesi 12

30. The Breeder – Iasonos 45

31. Zoumboulakis Galleries – Platia Kolonakiou 20

32. Athens Municipal Arts Center – Eleftherias Park

33. Athens Municipal Gallery (Building A)

34. Cultural Center ”Melina” Municipality of Athens – Iraklidon 66

35. Athens Municipal Gallery, Metaxourgio (Building B) Leonidou & Millerou

36. Olympia Municipal Music Theater ”Maria Kalas” – Akadimias 59

More details can be found here 

Athens’ Bio Festival Starts Today  

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.

Insights Greece - Athens' Bio Festival Starts Today  
Insights Greece - Athens' Bio Festival Starts Today  

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

Date: 06 May 2022 – 08 May 2022

Time: Friday 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm,

Weekend: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

A: Technopolis, 100 Pireos, Gazi, Athens

Event Website

‘This is Athens Festival’ Hosting 100 Events Throughout May 

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.

Insights Greece - ‘This is Athens Festival’ Hosting 100 Events Throughout May 
Insights Greece - ‘This is Athens Festival’ Hosting 100 Events Throughout May 

‘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’.

Athens Street Food Festival 2022 Taking Place Throughout May

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! 

Insights Greece - Athens Street Food Festival 2022 Taking Place Throughout May
Insights Greece - Athens Street Food Festival 2022 Taking Place Throughout May
Insights Greece - Athens Street Food Festival 2022 Taking Place Throughout May

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. 

Date: Weekends between 6 – 29 May 2022

A: Old Depot, OSY, Pireos & Ermou, Gazi

W: Athens Street Food Festival

Exploring Architectural Masterpieces at Open House Athens 2022

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. 

Insights Greece - Exploring Architectural Masterpieces at Open House Athens 2022
Image by Lily Anastasiou
Insights Greece - Exploring Architectural Masterpieces at Open House Athens 2022
Image by Era Pou 
Insights Greece - Exploring Architectural Masterpieces at Open House Athens 2022
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.

Date: 9-10 April 2022

For more details head to Open House Athens 

Main Image by George Adamos | Open House Athens ©

Acropolis Museum’s New Summer Program Begins April 1  

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. 

A: Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, Athens

The Acropolis Museum