From July 5 to July 12, Astypalaia plans to host the festival, an artistic event that is trying to bridge folk tradition with today. The “tsula”, the traditional amulet hung by the island’s women on the back of their costumes to protect them from evil, is transformed into a symbol of artistic expression, linking local culture to modern urban creativity.
The festival spreads all over the island with five different scenes, bringing to life spaces and memories, abandoned buildings, courtyards, coasts, and schools. From Matoula Zamani, the shadows, Nefeli Fasoulis and Nalyssa Green, to Papazó, Kalogeraki Bros and Street Outdoors, the music program is shaped as an open invitation to lively live, with guests. The appearance of Lena Kitsopoulou, who prepares a night live with rebetika and folk songs in a mystical tone, stands out.
On the axis of artists, Astypalaia becomes a canvas: Soteur transforms live public spaces with his street art, while organizing a workshop for the public, and Harry Rigalo creates a permanent monumental installation with materials from the island’s natural environment and waste, renovated by art.
The program also includes actions that invite visitors and locals to authentic experiences: Chef Gogo Delogiannis is preparing traditional food at a “Old” festival with everyone’s participation, Thomas Zambras presents stand-up comedy in an outdoor setting, while George Karamis is hosting a workshop.
The festival will also be screened with Vasilis Kekatos’ “The Wild Days”, in the presence of the contributors, in collaboration with the Cinobo platform. The event culminates with a beach party at sunset and closes solemnly at the port of St. Andrew, with Nalyssa Green and street outdoors.
The festival is not limited to a series of events. It is a vibrant experience of coexistence, creation, and return to the collective, where the local is a global and the past is chosen with the future, on the brightest island of the Aegean.
