Athens Irish Festival

The 3rd Athens Irish Festival is opening its doors 24th-26th of May - step into a world of green and magic! A 3-day celebration of music, dance and art, dedicated to Ireland. You will find us in a new location , green as it is fitting and very accessible through the metro. 


The Festival's Highlights

• 12 Live concerts by Irish and local artists
• Guinness straight from the barrel, whiskey cocktails and other thematic drinks
• Mouthwatering food options
• 30+ thematic crafters and artists stalls
• Music games for children
• An Irish adventure TTRPG for adults and children 12+
• 8 workshops
• Nook of stories for young and old bookworms ... and much more!

The Festival kicks off on Friday 24th May with a quintessential Outdoor Irish Trad Session. A session is not a gig, it is an open to all, musical and social gathering of musicians who play accoustically. Followed by ethereal polyphonic all female group, Asma Cordis, which means song of the heart. They love traditional singing but also adding innovations. After that, we welcome on stage Φaretra Crystallina, an ensemble that pairs classical and traditional music with a rock twist. Now it is time to start dancing with Irish traditional tunes and songs by Plump and our first Irish ensemble. The fiery fiddles of Aidan Connolly and Shane Meehan are backed by Patrick Egan’s concertina and multi-instrumentalist Caoimhín Ó Fearghail.

On Saturday 25th May we start early with music and dance games for children, inspired by Irish customs, facilitated by experienced Eleni Geraki. After that, we will journey to Ireland, Scotland and the Appalachian mountains with songs of love, exile, the sea and nature by Curfá Gaelic- Nordic Choir, followed by an all female Irish Ensemble with Clíodhna Begley playing the viola, Maëlla Roué Demians from Brittany playing the flute and Siobhan Butler dancing Sean Nós . Then, Irial O’Ceallaigh will enchant us with traditional Sean Nós singing, with musical backing from Caoimhín Ó Fearghail. Saturday will end with all of our Irish guests going up on stage for a unique and celebratory Irish fiesta. Musicians that will appear: Aidan Connolly, Shane Meehan,Clíodhna Begley, Caoimhín Ó Fearghail, Dom Keogh, Irial O’ Ceallaigh, Patrick Egan, Liam McGoniggle, Maëlla Roué Demians and Siobhan Butler will dance Sean Nós. We will hear the atmospheric polyphonic folk group Tale Tellers and right after we fill the park with the sounds of community and singing from their Irish repertoire, before the deep and entrancing Celtic/Scandinavian music of Athens-based band Sólastas (Labrini Astrid Andersson Gioti: vocals,nyckelharpa, repertoire, Becka Wolfe: violin, viola, vocals, Antonis Pantazis: Irish mandolin, mandola, vocals, Orestis Gargoulakis: flute, tin whistle, vocals, John Tikof: guitar, vocals) and ending with a second Ensemble of our Irish guests (Aidan Connolly, Pádraig Keane, Fergus McGorman, Clíodhna Begley).

Finally, on Sunday 26th May, the last day of the Festival once again starts with an enticing all female polyphonic folk group, the Samodivas who love medieval, celtic and world music. After this, we will hear the deep and entrancing Celtic/Scandinavian music of Athens-based band Sólastas, created by ethnomusicologist Labri Giotti who sings and plays a unique instrument, the nyckelharpa. Upbeat quintet Noriana, the name of a fairy, will take the stage afterwards and treat us to jigs and reels entwined with their own fresh musical idiom. The festival closes with another Irish Ensemble: Shane Meehan playing the fiddle, τον Liam McGonnigle on the accordion, Dom Keogh beating his bodhran and Siobhan Butler dancing Sean Nós.

Throughout the festival, our Artisan’s Market will feature a range of stalls where you can find a variety of uniquely-crafted designs, prints, artefacts, jewellery and enchanting items. This year, we are joined again by Soul Twinkles Publications who are presenting an Irish version of their Role-Playing Game ‘Mythic Revolutions’. 

In keeping with the Bardic tradition of Ireland, guests will have the opportunity to read fairytales at our signature ‘Nook of Stories’ with a few…feathered additions. They can go on a treasure hunt around the park to find our hidden stories and also trace the Fairy Path!

There are also educational workshops of singing, dance and musical instruments to choose from, on Saturday and Sunday. They will take place on festival grounds and have a small donation that goes directly to the Irist artists. Reservations are required.