Athens to Light Christmas Tree on Thursday with Concert

It’s Christmas time in the city and Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis invites residents and visitors to the official lighting of the 2023 Christmas tree on Syntagma Square this Thursday (November 23) at 6pm.

This year’s 17-meter Christmas tree comes from Karpenisi, central Greece, and will bring Christmas joy to the Greek capital with its 24,000 lights and hundreds of ornaments.

The event, to include a concert with Doros Dimosthenous and Penny Baltatzi together with the Athens Big Band, marks the beginning of holiday events in Athens which will run through to the first week of the new year.

Doros Dimosthenous.

Penny Baltatzi.

“Athens will shine for Christmas. The lighting ceremony starts on Thursday and will ‘spread’ from the ‘heart’ of the city to all its neighborhoods,” said outgoing mayor Bakoyannis.

TV presenters Nancy Zabetoglou and Thanasis Anagnostopoulos will be hosts for the evening.

According to the municipality, 83km of string lights, 3,800 decorations, 44 Christmas trees, large balloons and teddy bears will set the Christmas mood across Athens and on 37 city squares. Children will also have the chance to visit 10 Christmas villages around town.

Athens Big Band.

The Athens Christmas tree lighting event is free and open to all. The municipality will be announcing the full holiday program in the coming days.