Ηeld annually from late May till mid of August, the Athens & Epidaurus Festival is the oldest continuously running festival in Greece and one of the oldest performing arts festivals in Europe, hosting numerous major Greek and world-famous performing artists and attracting large crowds of both local and international visitors.
Today, the Athens & Epidaurus Festival is the foremost cultural institution in the country, catering to all tastes, offering both classical performances, such as ancient Greek tragedy and comedy, and cutting-edge, avantgarde productions. Greek and internationally acclaimed artists alike meet in this celebration of theatre, music, dance and visual arts, sharing their work with diverse audiences. Visitors from around the world have a unique opportunity to participate in this veritable feast of art, as well as enjoying the natural beauties of the magical Greek landscape.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus: A midsummer night’s dream in the shadow of the Acropolis
Built below the sacred rock of the Acropolis in the 2nd century BC, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is widely considered one of the most iconic theatres in the world. Since the inception of the Athens Festival in 1955, legendary artists have performed at the Odeon, including Maria Callas, Herbert von Karajan, Igor Stravinsky, Rudolf Nureyev and Leonard Bernstein, to name but a few.
This summer, music lovers can look forward to spellbinding evenings featuring leading symphony orchestras, brilliant classical soloists and concerts with world-renowned contemporary musicians.
2019 programme
5, 7, 9, 11 June
Greek National Opera – Carlus Padrissa – La Fura dels Baus –
Conductor Georgios Balatsinos
Norma by Vincenzo Bellini
14 June
Eleni Karaindrou concert
Tous des oiseaux
15 June
Jethro Tull concert
50 years of Jethro Tull
17 June
Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg – Solist Yuja Wang – Conductor Gustavo Gimeno
Works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Shostakovich, Stravinsky
19 June
George Dalaras – İzmir State Symphony Orchestra – Conductor Hakan Sensoy
21 June
ERT National Symphony Orchestra – Conductor Anastasios Symeonidis
Fête de la Musique
Works by Skalkottas, Mendelssohn and Prokofiev
22 June
Wiener Symphoniker – Conductor & Solist Leonidas Kavakos
Works by Mendelssohn, Mozart, Beethoven
24 June
Athens State Orchestra
A Tribute to Steven Spielberg
Live music with simultaneous screening of movie clips and photos
26 June
Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Zoi Tsokanou – Solist Murray Perahia
Works by Mitropoulos, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov
27 June
Loreena McKennitt concert
The elf of Celtic sound
28 June
Yannis Markopoulos concert
30 June
Yo-Yo Ma
Johann Sebastian Bach
The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites
3 July
Dead Can Dance concert
Dionysus
6 & 7 July
Armonia – Friends of Music Orchestra – Soprano Myrto Papatanasiu – Director & Conductor George Petrou
Alcina by Händel
9 July
Ravenna Festival – Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra – Conductor Riccardo Muti
The Roads of Friendship
10 July
Maria Farantouri – ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra – Conductor Anastasios Symeonidis
Shall We Go to the Movies?
Songs and music from the world and Greek cinema
11 July
Melodia 99.2
The History of Greek Song
Mixtape Summer ’19: Rembetika
13 July
Tindersticks concert
