Final Week of Athens City Festival Celebrates Greek and Foreign Cultures

Photo source: This is Athens Festival

The Municipality of Athens’ 3rd “This is Athens – City Festival” is heading into its last week, and invites art lovers to entertain themselves through a lineup of events highlighting Greek and foreign cultures.

Throughout its past three weeks, the festival hosted an array of concerts and actions, as well as many renowned artists from Greece and abroad, transforming some of the most popular places in the city into event venues.

As the festival nears its conclusion, it will present to residents and visitors of Athens theatrical and dance performances, outdoor parties, art exhibitions, and a festival dedicated to Spanish cinema.

Program for final week

Movie scene from the 8th Hispanic Film Festival. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

The last week will feature a variety of events for kids and adults, introducing participants to Athens’ culture, scene, and history. Organized by the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency (ADDMA), some of the festival’s events are free of charge, while reservations are necessary for others. The majority of them will be conducted in Greek.

Tuesday, May 28

– 8th Hispanic Film Festival, Hellenic American Union: The Athens Hispanic Film Festival – FeCHA returns for its 8th edition to highlight for one more year the cinematic wealth of Spanish-speaking countries. The 8th FeCHA will take place at the open-air cinemas Ellinis Cinemax, Europa Cinemas, and Aello Cinemax, while screenings will be hosted by the Cervantes Institute of Athens and the Hellenic American Union. The program includes 17 films, a tribute to Peruvian director Roberto Bonilla, and a selection of the best Spanish-language short films.

– Greek Cinema Nights, Eleftherias Park, 9 p.m.: The summer cinema comes to Eleftherias Park with some of the memorable moments of Greek cinema. Under the stars and on the grass, cinema enthusiasts will travel through the screen to explore the seventh art in its Greek variations. All four movies are subtitled in English.

– Athens Literary Salons, Athens University History Museum, 6 to 8 p.m.: The acclaimed team from Athens Insider takes us on a journey through Athens with the authors whose books are set in Greece. Stars of world literature share their thoughts with an active audience to reflect on their lives and loves in Greece, establishing a high intellectual benchmark for the TiACF.

Wednesday, May 29 

Greek Cinema Nights. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Fairytales at the Square: Sousourades, Pyrla Park Square, 7.3 p.m.: Sousourades, Aggeliki Agalianou and Eleana Hatzaki, will present a narrative performance of fairy tale disputes that take wings and fly.

– National School of Dance at the National Garden: Day 1, National Gardens, 7 to 8 p.m.: The final-year students of the National School of Dance (KSOT) bring their craft to unexpected places across the city to transform urban space and bring people together. This series of performances includes various solo and group dances inspired by Athens, Athenians, and their diversity.

Thursday, May 30

Party at the EMST. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Tracing the Unseen City, Syntagma Metro Station (Panepistimiou Street), 6 to 8 p.m.: The center of Athens hides an unseen face behind its emblematic squares, wide boulevards, and impressive landmark buildings. Starting from the bustling Syntagma Square and ending at Dragatsaniou Street, participants will learn about Athenian history from the 5th pre-Christian century until today.

– Inhalers, Exhalers: Group Art Exhibition, Macart Cultural Space, 9 to 11 p.m.: Five young artists, students of fine arts schools, unite their need to create images, translating the real world into paintings, in a group exhibition at Macart Cultural Space.

– EMST, This is Athens – City Festival, National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.: As part of the Athens City Festival, the EMST will open its doors to the public for free guided tours around its collections. In addition, from 7 to 11 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a special evening on the rooftop and the terrace of the museum restaurant, NYN ESTI, with selected music.

Friday, May 31

Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Love, Witchcraft, and Magic Spells, The Sanctuary of the Nymphs, 5:50 to 7.30 p.m.: This cultural walk will transport attendees to the neighborhoods of the Acropolis and Thission on a route that explores the relationship between love and magic in ancient Greek culture.

– Soirée Kypseli, Kypseli Municipal Market, 5 to 11 p.m.: A unique party organized by On Board Athens at the Kypseli Municipal Market.

– Best 92.6 Party, Brown Acropol Hotel, 7 p.m.: In the context of the festival, Best 92.6 invites Athenians and visitors to the terrace of the Brown Acropol Hotel at Omonia to celebrate the new summer season ahead.

Saturday, June 1 

Athens Cocktail Week. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Opening Party: Athens Cocktail Week, Kypseli Municipal Market, 6 to 11 p.m.: This impressive opening party includes 12 different bar stations inside the Kypseli City Market with plenty of cocktails, music, and good vibes.

– Encounters with ancient and medieval artists, Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, 1 p.m.: In an unusual tour, two archaeologists will present to the public “signed” works from the ancient and medieval collections of the Canellopoulos Museum. Reservations can be made at the museum’s telephone number: +30 210 331 9300.

– Tourkovounia sunset view party, Attiko Alsos Ring Road, 4.30 to 11.30 p.m.: The Attiko Alsos Sunset Party promises a unique experience, on an unknown “balcony” in Galatsi with a fantastic view over the forest grove.

Sunday, June 2

Athinoperipeteies, educational tour, outside Zappeion Megaron. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Athens Wine Selfie, Kypseli Municipal Market, 5 to 10 p.m.: Top Greek and foreign estates choose their favorite creations and engage in a little noble competition to the sounds of renowned DJs and judges, connoisseurs and amateurs, and, of course, wine lovers.

– Athinoperipeteies: Panathenaic Stadium, Zappeion Megaron, and the National Garden, Panathenaic Stadium, 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.: “Athinoperipeteies” is an educational tour or walk-through of the area around Kallimarmaro led by Sophia Alexiou, author of children’s books, along with experienced tour guides and museum educators.

– Tracing the Athens of the Philhellenes, Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: A guided tour of the most emblematic monuments and architectural spots of the Plaka area. Participants will wear headphones throughout these walks to better follow the tour, which will be performed in real-time. Necessary online reservation to the Philhellenism Museum email at info@phmus.org.

Monday, June 3

Theatre of the No. Photo source: This is Athens Festival

– Puppet Show: Ephemeria, Open-air Theatre of Kolonos, 9 p.m.: An original puppet theater show focusing on the daily life of a hospital ward with happy and sad stories from patients.

– The Last Lunch at Athens newest English-speaking theater, Theatre of the No, 8 p.m.: Theatre of the No will present “The Last Lunch”, a musical tragicomedy, written by Yoel Wulfhart, directed by Manos Tsotras, and with music composed by Ian Blunsdon.

More information on the festival’s program can be found here: https://cityfestival.thisisathens.org/en/home/

The cultural scene in Athens is further enriched by the summer program of events at Technopolis, along with the Athens Epidaurus Festival, which features some of the world’s most renowned music, dance, and theater artists.