Greece’s foremost cultural festival and one of the oldest performing arts festivals in Europe (1955), the Athens & Epidaurus Festival annually presents numerous theatre, dance, and music artists, acclaimed in Greece and worldwide, attracting large audiences from around the world!

Here are some of our favorite events and performances taking place during July!  

Stones Speak 
The works of ancient Greek philosophers are presented in three languages (Greek, English, French) in the form of theatre events held at major museums and archaeological sites in Athens!  

Hours and dates: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 11:00-13:00
Where: Major museums & archaeological sites
Tickets: Free



A tribute to cello
Inspired by the internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who will perform at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on June 30, Young Greek Classics will feature the work of young, already accomplished Greek cellists and other talented musicians, in what will prove to be a fascinating and high-quality program.

Dates & Hours: July 1st, 3rd, 4th at 21:00
Tickets: € 5
Where: Athens Conservatoire 



Kypseli – New Kids on the Block
Pantelis Flatsousis undertakes a unique project linked to this year’s Festival’s tribute to children. Based on narratives by children living in Kypseli, this performance will shed light on the everyday life and history of this neighborhood through the eyes of children of various ethnic 

Dates & Hours: From July 1st until July 4th at 20:30 
Where: 15th High School of Kypseli 
Tickets provided on a first-come-first-served basis.



Against Freedom
Vassilis Mavrogeorgiou, a popular actor, writer and director, chose this play for its subversive style, which at times reads as a contemporary version of the Theatre of the Absurd. Mavrogeorgiou focuses on the characters’ sense of loneliness and desolation, the sense that humanity bids farewell to the old world.

Dates & Hours: July 2nd, 3rd, 4th at 21:00 & July 5th at 18:00
Where: Peiraios 260
Tickets: From  € 5



Love Story
What kind of stories are we willing to listen to? What kind of stories move us? Why is it that viewers who will weep when watching movies will remain unmoved in the face of real-life human suffering? This seven-channel video-installation by the South African artist Candice Breitz interrogates the mechanisms of identification and empathy.

Dates & Hours: From May 30th until July 7th at 19:00
Where: Peiraios 260
Tickets: Free

The internationally acclaimed conductor Riccardo Muti returns to Athens and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus for the first time in 11 years with The Roads of Friendship. Muti, one of the greatest conductors in the world, has numerous awards to his name and conducted major orchestras, among which the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Philharmoniker, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Dates & Hours: July 9th at 21:00
Where: Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Tickets: From € 15

Dates & Hours: July 12th & 13th at 21:00
Where: Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Tickets: From € 5

Dates & Hours: From May 30th until July 17th at 19:00
Where: Peiraios 260
Tickets: Free 



The Museum of Greek Children’s Art at the Athens Festival

 

Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides
One of Euripides’ late plays, it was written between 408 and 406 BC and presented posthumously at the Great Dionysia, where it won first prize. The tragedy focuses on the fateful decision of Agamemnon, commander of the Greek forces, to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia.

Dates & Hours: July 19 & 20 at 21:00
Where: Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Tickets: From €5



Electra / Orestes
This performance marks the first time ever that the oldest active theatre company in the world will perform at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.

Dates & Hours: July 26 & 27 at 21:30
Where: Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
Tickets: From € 10



Picasso and Antiquity. Line and Clay
In the exhibition Picasso and Antiquity. Line and Clay, rare Picasso works, depicting sea creatures, animals, human figures, mythological episodes, scenes inspired from ancient tragedies and comedies, find themselves juxtaposed with ancient artifacts, thus creating a true “Divine Dialogue.” 

Dates: From May 20th until October 20th at 10:00
Where: Museum of Cycladic Art 
Tickets: Visit cycladic.gr

Opening Hours: Monday - Wednesday - Friday - Saturday: 10:00 - 17:00
Thursday: 10:00 - 20:00
Sunday: 11:00 - 17:00
Tuesday: closed

 Are you looking for a place to view the full moon from? Look no further! Full Moon Fiesta, the summer festival that has become something of an institution, is coming for the 4th consecutive year at Technopolis City of Athens. Prepare yourselves for a date under the full moonlight! Right before our summer vacation, on a working day, we set off on a fantastic journey and plunge into the most entertaining party of the city. On Wednesday, 17 July 2019, Katerine Duska, Minor Project, and Matina Sous Peau are coming with a batch of fresh sounds and dance songs to keep us cool in the heat of the summer and travel us to exotic destinations for a while...And guess what! We won’t be even needing a ticket!

After losing his job in 2012, Mr. Koursoumis was also–eventually– left homeless. "When I was walking, whenever I felt tired I looked for a quiet place to sleep. I've slept on the ground, in the entrances of apartment buildings in Athens many times" he says.

During his time on the street, Mr. Koursoumis, collected discarded books from trashcans across the city which he later sold to the second-hand book stalls at the Athens flea market. The pursuit of old books gave him the idea to open a second-hand bookstore where he and the friends he met on the streets could work and make a living.

Today, he is confident that through the bookstore, he and his friends will be able to reclaim a part of their old lives. He is aiming to create a community center run by the homeless for the homeless at a new permanent spot he has found in Tavros, near the center of the city and hopes to move his book shop to the new premises in the next couple of weeks.

To read this article in full, please visit: dw.com

The 2019 Epidaurus Festival premiered last Friday, June 21, with the successful performance of Oedipus by the highly acclaimed stage director, Robert Wilson.

This weekend June 28 &29 the National Theatre of Greece presents a bold, original concept; Oresteia, the only extant ancient drama trilogy is presented in Epidaurus in a single performance by three talented female directors in their Epidaurus debut, featuring a single cast and crew: Agamemnon by Io Voulgaraki, The Libation Bearers by Lilly Meleme, and The Eumenides by Georgia Mavragani.

Part 1: Agamemnon by Io Voulgaraki

In the first part of Aeschylus’ trilogy, King Agamemnon returns to Argos, shortly after the end of the Trojan War. Agamemnon triumphantly marches into the city and his palace, flaunting the Trojan princess and Apollo priestess Cassandra as his captive. Clytemnestra welcomes her husband, all pomp and circumstance. However, her enthusiasm conceals a deadly, well-orchestrated plan.

Part 2: The Libation Bearers by Lilly Meleme

In the second part of Aeschylus’ trilogy, Electra takes center stage, mourning her murdered father and obsessively anticipating the return of her brother, Orestes, her beacon of hope, with whom she plans to take revenge for Agamemnon.

Part 3: The Eumenides by Georgia Mavragani

The third part of the trilogy revolves around Orestes’ pursuit by the Furies and the holy trial he must submit himself to be acquitted. In this play, the Areopagus court is established, which is why it is often considered to be a foundational play of Athenian Democracy.

To learn more about the perfromance, please visit: Athens & Epidaurus Festival

Travel to Epidaurus comfortably, reliably, and on time with YK Executive Transfers.

About The Book

The ancient Greeks adored the olive from the twilight of history, and even in prehistoric times they used olives in medicine, cooking, religion and many other aspects of everyday life. Until today, scientists, botanologists, archaeologists and geologists have been trying to peel away the secrets of the olive and its uses in Ancient Greece. In this book you will find out how the ancient Greeks used the olive, through paintings, activities and amusing texts... Let yourself be surprised by the facts, as the olive is still used today in multiple ways and in many cases in the same ways that it was used back then!

About The Author

Vasiliki Markaki studied International Relations and History of Art in Athens and holds two Masters Degrees, in Art Management and Museum and Gallery Management, from City University London.

She has collaborated with natural history museums in Greece and the UK, for the development of learning activities and has also worked for the London-based British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures. In 2015, she joined the team that planned and managed the development of the House of European History, the new museum of the European Parliament, designing the learning strategy and all related material for physical and online visitors. Since 2017 she has been working at the Μuseum of Cycladic Art as the coordinator of the museum’s e-learning program.

Her children’s book “Discovering the Ancient Secrets of the Olive” was published in Greek and English in 2013.