This is Athens City Festival

CONQUISTADORS
2025-05-19 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-20 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-21 10:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Athens) | Macart’s Cultural Space, Lenorman 244, Athens, Athens, 104 43, Greece
Nikos Kyriakopoulos and his conquistadors disembark on Lenorman Street.

Dragons and wild beasts, locals and conquistadors—and even Death himself—battle deep in untrodden jungles.

The thirty-six works in this exhibition are not intended to serve History or the historical genre of painting. Instead, the artist draws his material from the mythos surrounding the Age of Discovery, crafting images that move beyond naturalism, both in form and content. Created using monotype, a technique dating back to the 16th century, the works gain added resonance when paired with the fantastical stories they depict. The adventures of the characters serve as a point of departure—not only for the adventures of line and colour, but also for reflection on themes such as desire, fear, conflict and illusion.

Opening: Thursday 8 May 2025, 19:30–23:00

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00–18:00 Saturday: 11:00–15:00 Closed on Sunday

Vassilis Papageorgiou - Painting and Sculpture: Lignea Creatura Stans
2025-05-19 11:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-20 11:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-21 11:30 - 20:30 | Gallery Ersi, Kleomenous 4, Athens, Athens, 106 75, Greece
The worlds of plants, animals and humans—along with legend, myth, imagination and dream—form the basis of Vassilis Papageorgiou’s new artistic exploration. His paradoxical heroes and hand-crafted wooden creatures inhabit both two- and three-dimensional space in a state of perpetual whirling. Through an aesthetic lens, Papageorgiou reflects on the consequences of humanity’s destructive impact on the natural world. From this meditation, he generates new values—drawn from the cultural references of nature and tradition—that define the conditions for coexistence.

Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 11:30–14:30 & 17:30–20:30 Saturday: 11:30–15:00

TAKIMI II – Reconnections Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition
2025-05-19 12:00 - 15:00, 2025-05-20 12:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-21 12:00 - 20:00 | Pottery Museum, Melidoni 4-6, Athens, Athens, 105 53, Greece
The Museum of Modern Greek Ceramics, in collaboration with the French Institute of Greece, presents the exhibition TAKIMI II – Reconnections, featuring works by emerging ceramic artists Olga Vlassi and Auréline Caltagirone. The exhibition showcases pieces created during their 2024 artist residency at the French Lodging in Rhodes, organised by the French Institute of Greece. Their creations engage in a dialogue with the museum’s permanent collections, reflecting the myths and ceramic heritage of Rhodes through a contemporary lens. Through their work, the artists share impressions and personal narratives inspired by their time on the island—reconnecting modern expression with tradition and the historical context that shaped it.

Curated by: Thalassini Bratsou

Opening: Sunday 18 May 2025, 20:30

Opening hours: Monday: 12:00–15:00 Tuesday–Thursday: 12:00–20:00 Friday: 12:00–15:00 Saturday: 11:00–14:00

Apprenticeship Walk: 20 plus 1 Stops
2025-05-19 18:00 - 19:30 | National Garden, Vas. Amalias 1, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
This activity is only availble in Greek.

Officially designated a historic site, the National Garden (formerly the Royal Garden) is a calm eye in the storm of central Athens—a space of serenity surrounded by the city’s intensity, steeped in memory and history. Among the 500 species of plants brought here from around the world under Queen Amalia’s watchful eye, marble figures wait quietly: Dionysios Solomos, Aristotle Valaoritis, Jean Moréas, Ioannis Kapodistrias and Ioannis Eynard—emblematic figures from an era of visionary leadership in Greece. In this poetic promenade, writer-director Thodoris Gonis invites audiences to follow the traces of these permanent Garden residents—poets, politicians, botanists and engineers—through the documents, letters and texts that shaped the garden’s story. At its heart is the 20-year-old queen who once dreamt it into being.

Concept & Direction: Thodoris Gonis

Dramaturgy: Thodoris Gonis, Eleni Stroulia

Costumes: Matina Megkla

Cast: Eleni Ouzounidou, Thanasis Dimou, Roxani Karfi, Christina Chalkia

Musicians: Paris Kimionis, Danai Tsironi

The Magic of the Serenades in the Streets of Plaka
2025-05-19 20:30 - 22:30 | Aerides, Markou Avriliou & Diogenous, Athens, Athens, 105 55, Greece
The Karaviotis brothers—modern-day troubadours—bring the traditional kantada (serenade) back to the winding alleyways of Plaka.
This nostalgic musical stroll revives the romantic songs of old Athens: melodies that once echoed through the tavernas of Plaka, Psyrri and Omonia. With care and devotion, these passionate performers breathe new life into tunes that have long lived in the city’s memory.
Meeting point: Agia Aikaterini, Plaka

Pepper Church Sessions: Hume Assine
2025-05-19 20:30 - 23:00 | Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Filellinon 27, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
The atmospheric Pepper Church Sessions return once again to the This is Athens City Festival, filling St Paul’s Anglican Church in the city centre with the music of beloved artists.

This year, Hume Assine take the stage with their signature blend of keyboards, samples and vocals, presenting their new project Athens Blues—a musical journey through the urban stories of the city we call Athens.

Entry by invitation only, available through Pepper 96.6.

Dimitri Mystakidis Live
2025-05-19 21:00 - 23:00 | National Archaeological Museum, Patission 44, Athens, Athens, 106 82, Greece
As part of the City of Athens Festival, on Monday, May 19th at 21:00, Ellinikos 93.2 welcomes Dimitri Mystakidis. Alone on stage, self-analyzes and improvises in a solo experimental performance where the folk guitar intertwines with loops and atmospheric soundscapes. A captivating Encounter full of songs from his discography, with rebetika and other favorites of his. Some rearranged and some untouched.

A captivating Encounter full of songs from his discography, with rebetika and other favorites of his, where the folk guitar intertwines with loops and atmospheric soundscapes!

On Monday, May 19th, at 21:00, in the courtyard of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Dimitris Mystakidis, alone on stage, self-analyzes and improvises in a solo experimental performance!
A captivating Encounter full of songs from his discography, with rebetika and other favorites of his.

Giorgos Gyzis: Clippings: Athens
2025-05-20 11:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-21 11:00 - 16:00 | Ikastikos Kyklos, Akadimias 6, Athens, Athens, 106 71, Greece
Clippings: Athens presents the third series of paintings inspired by clippings sourced from old newspapers. Photographs, drawings, and articles about Athens emerge from the archives, transformed into visual artworks that evoke emotion. The works on display offer a brief journey through the evolving form of Athens, beginning with the distinctive sketches by 19th-century British travellers in Attica and culminating in the height of modernism during the 1950s and 60s.

Exhibition Opening: Saturday 10 May 2025, 12:00–17:00 Opening Hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 11:00–14:30 / 17:30–20:30

Wednesday, Saturday: 11:00–16:00

Closed Sunday and Monday

How to Fit Inside the City
2025-05-20 12:00 - 20:00, 2025-05-21 12:00 - 16:00 | Athens Gallery7, Solonos 20, Athens, Athens, 106 73, Greece
The work of Haris Baskozos is compelling not only for its final forms but also for the sources of inspiration behind them. The artist studied architecture at the National Technical University of Athens and fine arts at the Athens School of Fine Arts. When drawing from his background in architecture, his work leans toward a rectilinear style that echoes urban planning and evokes a kind of “emotional Mondrian.” In these compositions, consciousness seems to take the lead. In contrast, when his fine arts training prevails, his work shifts towards a freer, more instinctive expression, dominated by human-like forms and influenced by art brut, where the unconscious plays the central role. In both cases, the final result is not a strict monologue of either approach, but rather a dialogue—one side mostly leading, the other echoing through. In this way, Baskozos offers a fascinating visual argument: the idea of collectivity (the city) tends to be shaped through a more conscious process, while reflections on individuality (the human being) emerge through the unconscious.

Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 12:00–20:00 Wednesday & Saturday: 12:00–16:00

Vassilis Karakatsanis: Urban Tools
2025-05-20 12:00 - 21:00 | Genesis Gallery, Ippokratous 121, Athens, Athens, 114 72, Greece
Vassilis Karakatsanis invites us on a journey through the spectrum of contemporary existence—a complex, ever-evolving interplay of memories, collective narratives and social dynamics. His exhibition Urban Tools unfolds as a compelling dialogue between past and present, the personal and the monumental. Seven large-scale paintings, accompanied by numerous smaller works—created using acrylic, oil and gouache on canvas—invite a deep exploration of life in all its textures and tones. At the heart of Karakatsanis’ practice lies a transcendent inner process shaped by memory and materiality. The exhibition title hints at the hidden mechanisms that define a place’s essence: the subtle, often invisible tools that help us navigate, define and interpret the environments we inhabit—as well as those that shape and compose our very being. The urban landscape is not only his subject matter; it becomes his medium. Each brushstroke reveals the layered relationship between its singularity and the stories it holds. Symbols of personal and collective identity, ideology and emotion are interwoven into the fabric of daily life.

Opening night: Thursday 8 May 2025, 20:00

Opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 12:00–21:00 Saturday: 12:00–15:00 Closed on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday

Athens in the Spring’s Kypseli
2025-05-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Kypseli Municipal Market, Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens, Athens, 113 61, Greece
Come and experience a special children’s event full of spring magic, where a little bee will show us how she can change the world with sweetness and courage!

The presentation of the children’s book “Chrysanthi, the little bee who brought Spring” will take place on Tuesday, May 20th at 18:30, at the Kypseli Municipal Market.

A sweet celebration full of colours, storytelling, honey, and smiles, with small gifts and surprises for our little friends!

A fairy tale narration by the beloved actress Vicky Volioti, while Stefanos Koutras, Dr. of Special Education from the University of Ioannina and Education Advisor for Athens A’, will talk about the book.

As part of the event, the Bee Day Greece initiative, in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens and with the assistance of the Athens Digital Arts Festival, will present an interactive beehive installation that will remind us of the crucial role of bees in sustainable development.

Specifically, we welcome young and old to an original artistic installation of digital beehives and inspired soundscapes, both outside and inside the Kypseli Municipal Market. A sensory journey from the city to nature, familiarizing us with the daily life of a beekeeper and the precious work of bees.

The public, through touchless interaction, will be able to activate the installation – without stings, of course! We just need to have our “antennae” open to hear the Bees.

Let Athens buzz!

The Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, will honour the event with his presence.

Fairy Tales in the Square: Taxiarchis Beligiannis - Lida Xydia
2025-05-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Dexameni Square, Dexameni Square, Athens, Athens, 106 73, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

Once upon a time… begins a magical journey! Guided by words and accompanied by music, we will fly over seas and mountains, meet brave heroes and wise old women, and experience incredible adventures. Get ready for an afternoon of storytelling full of imagination!

Storytelling by: Taxiarhis Beligiannis
Music by: Lida Xydia

Listening to the Young 2025 - Evelina Tsianzi Mante
2025-05-20 20:00 - 21:00 | Athens Univercity Museum, Tholou 5, Athens, Athens, 105 56, Greece
Evelina Tsiantzi Mante, winner of the Hear the Young 2025 competition, presents a recital of solo piano works and performs alongside acclaimed violist Ilias Sdoukos. The programme features music by Bach, Chopin, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Vieuxtemps, Nino Rota and Shostakovich.

Hear the Young is an innovative initiative designed to support emerging classical musicians. It introduces young performers to future audiences through concerts, recordings and festivals—often held in non-traditional venues, including ancient theatres and heritage sites. The programme is the result of a collaboration between the Kalogeropouleio Foundation, DIAZOMA, the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron), and Third Programme of Greek National Radio, and works closely with major cultural institutions such as the Athens and Thessaloniki State Orchestras, the Underground Youth Orchestra, and the This is Athens City Festival.

Supported by: Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, Vinci/Olympia Odos, Athens International Airport, and the Region of Peloponnese.

Dobrawa Czocher
2025-05-20 20:00 - 21:30 | Roman Agora of Athens, Polygnotou 3, Athens, Athens, 105 55, Greece
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Athens and ”This is Athens City Festival” present, for the first time in Greece, internationally acclaimed cellist Dobrawa Czocher — performing live in duo for the first time with pianist and synth artist Natalia Czekała. With a long and award-winning career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral performer, Czocher passionately explores new dimensions of the cello’s sound—masterfully blending classical and contemporary music.

A leading figure of the modern classical scene, she has released two albums with renowned pianist Hania Rani, with whom she has toured extensively around the world. She will perform at the Roman Agora in the world premiere of her new duo, featuring Natalia Czekała on keyboards providing a unique electronic aesthetic.

3rd Accessible Stand-Up Comedy Festival
2025-05-20 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-05-21 20:00 - 23:00 | Technopolis City of Athens, Pireos 100, Athens, Athens, 118 54, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.
The Cool Crips return to Technopolis with a double bill of stand-up comedy designed for truly inclusive laughs. Accessible Comedy Nights is not a “special” show—it’s just stand-up as we know it, only this time, no one is left out due to lack of accessibility.
On 20 & 21 May 2025, some of Greece’s sharpest comics—Katerina Vrana, Aristotelis Rigas, Melina Kollia, Aristeidis Psylliakos, Kostas Kryos and Alexandros Titkov—take the stage alongside two emerging disabled performers debuting their acts.
The venue is wheelchair accessible and the shows will feature live interpretation in Greek Sign Language, live Greek surtitles, and an adapted format that’s friendly to blind audiences. Because comedy belongs to everyone.

Algerian Cultural Days
2025-05-21 08:30 - 23:00 | Klafthmonos Square, Klaftmonos Square, Athens, Athens, 105 61, Greece
The Algerian Embassy in Greece, in collaboration with the Municipality of Athens, is organizing the Algerian Cultural Days on May 21 and 22, 2025, in Klafthomnos Square, at the centre of Athens.
The event includes the following activities :

Exhibition of Algerian local products.
Exhibition of Algerian artisanal crafts.
Exhibition of Algerian traditional costumes and jewelry.
Exhibition of Algerian gastronomy: traditional delicacies and dishes.
Traditional dances and songs (screening).
Stand dedicated to the “Study in Algeria” platform, launched by the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Opening ceremony: May 21, 2025, at 11:00 AM

From the Great to Modern Greece - Part B: The Refugees
2025-05-21 12:30 - 13:30 | National Historical Museum, Stadiou 13, Athens, Athens, 105 61, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

A guided tour of the second part of the exhibition “From Great Greece to Modern Greece”, which traces the completion of the country’s formation in terms of borders and population. The first part, presented in 2022, describes the events that led to the stabilization of borders after the end of World War I, focusing on the Asia Minor Campaign and the collective trauma of the destruction of Smyrna. The second part, subtitled “The Refugees”, focuses on the demographic shaping of Greece through population movements over the course of a century. The exhibition is made possible by the exclusive sponsorship of Piraeus Bank.

This event is aimed at adults.

Fitness Sessions
2025-05-21 18:30 - 20:30 | Eleftherias Park, Eleftherias Park, Athens, Athens, 115 21, Greece
A chance to get moving in the lush green setting of Eleftherias Park, where expert trainers and their teams lead sessions focused on health and wellbeing.

At the Fitness Sessions, exercise is all about fun—not competition. Yoga, Pilates and aerobic workouts are adapted to suit all levels, aiming to inspire a lifestyle of movement and balance.

Bring your own mat!

Fairy Tales in the Park: Georgina Konsta - Giannis Psariotis
2025-05-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Pangrati Grove, Pangrati Grove, Athens, Athens, 116 35, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

This beautiful text evokes a magical, springtime atmosphere, weaving the themes of fairy tales with the blossoming life of nature. In English, we could adapt it like this: “Springtime wonders… with fairy tale patches! A red thread tied within the forest awaits, ready to meet a blue one, to begin a fairy tale. The May flowers weave lovely songs, and everything feels like music, just like a wonderful life. Fairy tales and spring together, it’s truly a celebration. Spring and fairy tales always tell the truth, Everything around us is blooming and the myrtle scents the air. Every word is beautiful with a lovely company. Come sit beside us, and fall in love with stories! Come join us for tales under the blue Attic sky, where the light and the scents of spring fill the air and reach everywhere!”.

Narration: Georgina Kosta
Music: Giannis Psariotis

Moving Objects - Seeking Ideas
2025-05-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Elytis’ House – Museum, Polygnotou 7, Athens, Athens, 105 55, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

Poet Ioulita Iliopoulou and the President of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (ELIVIP), Nikios Bakounakis, will discuss the creation of the Elytis House Museum.

Listening to the Young - Iris Groch
2025-05-21 20:00 - 21:00 | Athens Univercity Museum, Tholou 5, Athens, Athens, 105 56, Greece
The innovative program “Listening to the Young” is a comprehensive initiative supporting emerging classical musicians through concerts, recordings, and festivals, with the goal of introducing young artists to their future audiences. It also aims to host classical music performances in unconventional venues such as ancient theatres and cultural monuments.

This program is made possible through a collaboration between the Kalogeropoulio Foundation, the Diazoma Association, the Athens Concert Hall, and Third Programme, and works alongside major cultural institutions in Greece, such as the State Orchestras of Athens and Thessaloniki, the Underground Youth Orchestra, and the This is Athens City Festival. It is supported by Kapetan Vassilis and Carmen Konstantakopoulos Foundation, Vinci/Olympia Odos, Athens International Airport, and the Peloponnese Region.

Iris Groch, an award-winning violinist in the Listening to the Young 2025 competition, will perform alongside distinguished musicians Eleni Chatziargyrou and Popi Malapani on piano and Asterios Pouftis on cello. The program will feature works by Kreisler, Ravel, and Piazzolla.
