This is Athens City Festival

Biscuits at the Museum!
2026-05-02 11:30 - 12:30, 2026-05-08 18:00 - 19:00 (Europe/Athens) | Hellenic Children’s Museum, Vas. Georgiou Β΄ 19, Athens, Athens, 106 75, Greece
The Hellenic Children’s Museum is opening up its most delicious exhibit for a hands-on kitchen takeover. If you’re looking for a brilliant way to keep the kids entertained (and well-fed) this May, “Kitchen: Discovering the World of the Biscuit” is exactly where you need to be.

In this “Biscuits at the Museum!” workshop, our younger festival-goers get to swap the sketchbook for a rolling pin. It’s not just a baking lesson; it’s a magical journey into the world of pastry through the eyes of a museum.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided tour of the War Museum for Kids
2026-05-02 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-09 12:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-16 12:30 - 13:30 | War Museum, Rizari 2-4, Athens, Athens, 106 75, Greece
As part of the This is Athens City Festival, the War Museum opens its collections and invites us on a journey through Greece’s military history and cultural heritage. Through specially designed thematic tours, visitors will have the opportunity to discover iconic exhibits and lesser-known narratives that shed light on the Greek past.

The activity is intended for children aged 8 and above, accompanied by one adult.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided tour of the War Museum for Adults
2026-05-02 20:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-09 20:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-16 20:00 - 21:00 | War Museum, Rizari 2-4, Athens, Athens, 106 75, Greece
As part of the This is Athens City Festival, the War Museum opens its collections and invites us on a journey through Greece’s military history and cultural heritage. Through specially designed thematic tours, visitors will have the opportunity to discover iconic exhibits and lesser-known narratives that shed light on the Greek past.

The activity is intended for adults and for families with children aged 12 and above.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour at the National Historical Museum
2026-05-03 12:00 - 13:00 | National Historical Museum, Stadiou 13, Athens, Athens, 105 61, Greece
Step inside the grand, stately building with the bronze statue of Kolokotronis on horseback out front. It’s nothing less than the Old Parliament House, the very heart of Greece’s early political acts, and it is throwing open its doors for the This is Athens City Festival.

This isn’t just a wander through a dusty museum; it’s a guided journey through the National Historical Museum. You’ll be stepping into the original debating chamber where the big decisions that shaped modern Greece were hammered out. It’s an atmospheric spot that keeps history grounded in the centre of the city. Our guide will lead you through a stunning collection that charts the Greek story from the fall of Constantinople through to the 20th century. You’ll see personal heirlooms and everyday objects from the Greek Revolution, intricate traditional costumes that are basically 19th-century high fashion, historic weaponry, and archival treasures that tell the story of a nation finding its feet.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Discover the National Typography Museum (MET)
2026-05-06 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-13 10:30 - 12:00 | National Printing House Museum, Kapodistriou 34, Athens, Athens, 104 32, Greece
A visit to the National Typography Museum and its historic collection. Visitors will have the chance to closely examine representative samples of the mechanical equipment and printed products of the Typography. Additionally, they will get familiar with traditional printing techniques and the working conditions of the printer profession.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Presentation of Τhe House of General Napoleon Zervas
2026-05-06 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-07 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-13 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-14 11:30 - 12:00, 2026-05-20 11:30 - 12:00 | House of General Napoleon Zervas, 9 Kallergi, Athens, 104 37, Greece
Τhe House of General Napoleon Zervas opens its doors for a series of special presentations. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the spaces where the General lived and discover historical material that highlights the united national resistance against the occupying forces during the years 1941–1944. Through personal belongings and historical narratives, the life and actions of Napoleon Zervas are brought to life, offering insight into the events that shaped the history of Athens and Greece.

The presentations will take place every Wednesday and Thursday in May, in small groups of up to 10 people.

Bookings open one week before each event, at 12:00 noon.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Thematic Tour: The Depiction of the Face through the Collections of the National Gallery
2026-05-06 14:00 - 15:00 | National Gallery – Alexandros Soutsos Museum, 50 Vasileos Konstantinou, Athens, 116 34, Greece
In the main building of the National Gallery, the public has the opportunity to participate in a thematic tour dedicated to the art of portraiture. The tour explores the timeless need of artists, as well as historical figures, to keep their likeness alive through the centuries, beginning with the simple, and almost ascetic forms of the Saints in the late 16th century.

As the tour progresses towards the present day, visitors observe radical changes in materials and techniques, discovering how the long tradition of painting was transformed to render human psychography with a contemporary perspective. It is a journey into the gaze and the form, illuminating the evolution of identity and artistic expression through the treasures of the country’s most important gallery.

This activity is only available in Greek.

A Guided Tour in the World of Niki de Saint Phalle
2026-05-07 18:00 - 19:00, 2026-05-09 12:00 - 13:00 | MOMus-Museum Alex Mylona, Agion Asomaton Square 5, Athens, Athens, 105 54, Greece
The This is Athens City Festival 2026 invites you to dive into the revolutionary world of one of the 20th century’s most fearless icons. In these two specially curated guided tours of the exhibition “From Shooting to Freedom,” you’ll discover how Niki de Saint Phalle transformed pain and rage into a lasting celebration of colour and rebirth. This is the first time her work has been presented on this scale in Greece, tracing her journey from the radical Tirs (shooting performances) to her exuberant, world-famous Nanas.

Through a vibrant collection of paintings, collages, and sculptures, the exhibition unfolds like a child’s game, yet retains the raw power of a woman who challenged every boundary of art and society. Catch these rebellious masterpieces tucked into the intimate spaces of the MOMus-Alex Mylonas Museum, across from the Parthenon.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour at the City of Athens Museum
2026-05-08 12:00 - 13:00 | The City of Athens Museum, 5-7 loannou Paparrigopoulou, Athens, 105 61, Greece
The City of Athens Museum (Vouros-Eutaxias Foundation) will welcome us for a rather special look at the capital’s modern history. The tour spans two iconic buildings that tell the story of a city finding its feet.
We start at the legendary “Old Palace”, the first residence of King Otto and Queen Amalia. It’s a space deeply intertwined with the very first steps Athens took as a modern European capital. Here, you’ll see the city through the objects and grand rooms that helped define its new, royal identity.

The journey then moves into the second building of the complex, the former home of the Dekozis-Vouros family. This is where things get personal. It offers a much more intimate glimpse into Athenian “high society” life, revealing the aesthetics, the daily habits, and domestic charm of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Through these collections and the stunning architecture itself, you’ll witness the trajectory of a city that was rapidly expanding and shaping its modern self. It’s a tour that beautifully bridges the gap between Athens’ grand political history and its private, everyday heart.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour of the "Elytis House" Museum
2026-05-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Elytis’ House – Museum, Polygnotou 7, Athens, Athens, 105 55, Greece
A unique opportunity to get up close to the personal and intellectual world of Odysseas Elytis through a special guided tour of the “Elytis House” Museum.

The museum’s permanent exhibition brings the life and work of the great Nobel laureate to life, featuring precious manuscripts, rare Greek and foreign editions, and artworks that illuminate his multifaceted creativity. A central highlight of the experience is the reconstruction of his study. this is the authentic space where the poet worked continuously from 1962 until the end of his life, surrounded by his personal belongings and archives. A journey into the heart of Greek letters. The visit will allow visitors to breathe in the very atmosphere where some of the most significant works of world poetry were born.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tours of the Cavafy Archive
2026-05-09 13:30 - 17:30, 2026-05-19 13:30 - 17:30 | Cavafy Archive, 16B Frynichou, Plaka, 105 58, Greece
This year, the This is Athens City Festival marks its fifth anniversary with a truly special collaboration. We’ve teamed up with the Onassis Foundation to invite you on a deeply personal journey through the life of one of the world’s most influential poets. For the first time as part of the festival, we’re stepping inside a stunning 1910 listed building on Phrynichou Street. Since late 2023, this spot in the heart of Plaka has become the new home of the Cavafy Archive, and now, its doors are opening for a series of exclusive guided tours.

It’s a rare chance to get up close and personal with the world of C.P. Cavafy by wandering through five specially curated rooms that recreate the atmosphere of his legendary home in Alexandria. Among the treasures, you will find personal relics such as original furniture, mementos, and even the poet’s death mask, alongside a remarkable collection of 966 surviving volumes in the library. The experience also showcases inspired art, with works ranging from Theodore Ralli and Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika to contemporary artists moved by his poetry. Perhaps most poignantly, the tour reveals the universe of Cavafy’s Athens through personal diaries and glowing letters from literary greats like Angelos Sikelianos, revealing the poet’s deep, timeless connection to this city.

To celebrate this new partnership, the Onassis Foundation is offering 20 free guided tours throughout the month for festival-goers. It’s a wonderful opportunity to dive deep into history, memory, and world-class art.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour of the Museum of the City of Athens
2026-05-11 12:00 - 13:00 | The City of Athens Museum, 5-7 loannou Paparrigopoulou, Athens, 105 61, Greece

Guided Tour: Maria Callas Museum
2026-05-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Maria Callas Museum, Mitropoleos 44, Athens, Athens, 105 63, Greece
The Maria Callas Museum invites us on a moving tour into the world of the 20th century’s leading soprano. Through a specially designed guided experience, visitors have the unique opportunity to discover the most iconic moments of her career, while exploring the unknown, personal aspects of the journey that established her as a global opera icon.

The narrative brings her path to life beyond standard exhibition texts, illuminating her artistic legacy and complex personality directly and experientially. This is an experience tailored to its audience, offering a deep look at the woman and the artist who changed lyric theatre forever, right in the heart of the city she loved so dearly.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour: The Permanent Collection of the National Glyptotheque
2026-05-13 11:00 - 12:30 | National Glypthotheque, Army Park, Panagiotis Kanellopoulos Avenue, Athens, 115 25, Greece
The National Glyptotheque invites us to an immersive guided tour through the history of modern Greek sculpture, from its beginnings in the 19th century to the bold explorations of the 21st. Under the guidance of the collection’s curator, Tonia Giannoudaki, you will have the opportunity to discover the transition from the rigour of Neoclassicism to dynamic Realism and, ultimately, to the absolute freedom of Abstraction.

The tour illuminates the work of great Greek creators while simultaneously placing it in dialogue with iconic works by international artists, highlighting the European trends that shaped domestic sculptural creation. This is a comprehensive narrative that transforms a visit to Goudi into a living art history lesson, revealing how volume and matter have been transformed over time to express the concerns of the modern era. The tour will be conducted exclusively in Greek.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour: Jeff Koons – “Venus of Lespugue”
2026-05-14 18:00 - 18:30 | Museum of Cycladic Art, Neofytou Douka 4, Athens, Athens, 106 74, Greece
The Museum of Cycladic Art invites you to a unique guided tour bridging 40,000 years of human creativity.

The tour explores a fascinating encounter between Paleolithic art and the contemporary vision of world-renowned artist Jeff Koons, featuring his striking sculpture, Balloon Venus Lespugue (Orange). You’ll discover how this mirrored steel masterpiece enters into “dialogue” with ten certified replicas of Paleolithic figurines, centered around the original Venus of Lespugue.

It’s a deep dive into timeless archetypes of fertility and femininity, examining how the transformation of materials has shifted the sacred meaning of the female form from the dawn of humanity right through to the postmodern era.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Theatre Battles in Ancient Athens
2026-05-17 11:00 - 12:30 | Epigraphic Museum, Tositsa 1, Athens, Athens, 106 82, Greece
The This is Athens City Festival invites explorers of all ages to an educational adventure that reimagines ancient Athens through the eyes of two real-life legends. Auteas and Philoxenides, two “choregoi” (the visionary sponsors of the time) from Aexone, today’s Glyfada, are making a symbolic comeback 2,300 years later to guide us through the thrilling world of theatrical competitions.

What exactly was the role of a sponsor back then? How were the city’s massive festivals organised? And why was theatre so much more than just a night out?

Taking its cue from a rare honorary decree from 313/2 BC housed in the Epigraphical Museum, this session is specially designed for families with children aged 7 to 10. Through storytelling, discovery, and a hands-on creative workshop, kids will dive into ancient drama and the city’s public life in a way that’s interactive, fast-paced, and fun. It’s a chance to pull the past into the present with imagination, play, and a real connection to Athens’ cultural soul.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour: "The Association of Athenians" & The "Athenian Museum"
2026-05-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Association of the Athenians, Kekropos 10, Athens, Athens, 105 58, Greece
We celebrate International Museum Day with a free guided tour that transports us to the “heart” of old Athens. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the historic “Association of Athenians” and the “Athenian Museum,” embarking on a conceptual journey through two centuries of Athenian history.

Through precious documents and donations from the families who shaped the character of the capital, the tour highlights the urban lifestyle of the 19th and 20th centuries, illuminating hidden facets of the city’s social and cultural evolution. The tour will be conducted by the President of the Association, Eleftherios G. Skiadas, and museologist Elena Gotsina, offering an authentic experience that connects collective memory with the Athens of today.

A rare chance to get to know the legacy of the people who built the city’s identity, through the collections of one of its most emblematic institutions.

This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided Tour at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST)
2026-05-19 17:00 - 18:30 | National Museum of Contemporary Art, National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (ΕΜΣΤ), Athens, Athens, 117 43, Greece
The This is Athens City Festival is serving up a back-to-back cultural double bill at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST). One booking gets you into two consecutive guided tours, exploring the legacies of two Greek artists who put their personal seal on modernist art.

17:00 | Jani Christou: Enantiodromia
Curator Kostis Zouliatis introduces the avant-garde world of Jannis Christou (1926–1970). Conceived as a “living score,” this exhibition unveils the artist’s archive for the first time. Featuring bespoke sound design and rare materials, from scores to philosophical texts, it reveals a “sonic philosopher” who turned ritual and myth into groundbreaking art.

18:00 | Ode to Things: Niki Kanagini (Retrospective)
The journey continues with curator Tina Pandi and a fresh look at the work of Niki Kanagini (1933–2008). Inspired by Pablo Neruda, this retrospective explores the “microcosm” of everyday objects as vessels for memory. From large-scale tapestries to participatory installations, you’ll discover the gendered experience and visual poetry of one of Greece’s most significant post-war women artists.

Meeting Point: Foyer

This activity is only available in Greek.
