Athens Welcomes Summer with Culture Festival, European Music Day

Athens welcomes summer this year with dozens of free events at 53 points around the city for 37 days, announced the municipality this week.

The “Summer in Athens” festivals kicks off on June 16 and features jazz, rock, classical, and Greek music concerts, tribute events to famous Greek artists including Thanos Mikroutsikos, Lina Nikolakopoulou, and Marika Ninou, Greek film screenings, ethnic, tango and Latin dance happenings, kiddies events, theater and shadow puppet performances, among others.

Athens Symphony Orchestra performing at the Benaki Museum.

Athens Municipality ensembles, choirs, and orchestras, will be performing at the Kolonos Theater, the Benaki Museum, the National Garden and in the city’s squares.

Greek shadow puppet theater known as “Karagiozis”.

During the festival through to July 25, the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra will be parading through 11 Athens neighborhoods playing live music in the mornings.

Athens celebrates European Music Day

Outdoor concert of the Athens Symphony Orchestra.

The Greek capital will once again be celebrating European Music Day on June 21 with concerts at the National Garden, Monastiraki Square, Zappeion, and at the Athens University on Panepistmiou St.

“Summer in Athens” is the first of four festivals to run in the city through to October. Most concerts start at 9pm and children performances at 8.30pm. For more info (in Greek) go here.

Cretan music performance.

Concert of the Greek Music Workshop of the Municipality of Athens.

“’Summer in Athens’, officially launching this year’s summer cultural program, is richer than ever! Our goal is for culture to reach every corner of the city, the squares, museums, cultural spaces and parks,” said Athens Mayor Haris Doukas.

The mayor went on to add the events are free and open to all and aimed at engaging residents and visitors and encouraging interaction and participation.