Dr. Yiannis N. Tzortzis: Greenland
2026-05-30 12:00 - 16:00 (Europe/Athens) | a.antonopoulou.art Gallery, 20 Aristofanous, Athens, 105 54, Greece
The gallery a.antonopoulou.art hosts the solo photography exhibition “Greenland” by Dr. Yiannis N. Tzortzis, a body of work that seamlessly merges artistic sensitivity with a sharp environmental consciousness. Through his lens, the frozen landscapes of the North are revealed in all their rare beauty and profound fragility, opening an essential dialogue on the climate crisis and the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. Here, the image transcends simple documentation; it becomes a catalyst for reflection.

The exhibition carries significant weight as it highlights the delicate balance between natural heritage, the geopolitical importance of resources, and our collective responsibility toward the environment. Viewers are invited to perceive Greenland not merely as a site of immense aesthetic power, but as one of the most critical frontiers for contemplating the planet’s present and future. This is a multi-layered experience with a clear ecological and contemporary footprint.

Opening: Thursday, May 7 at 19:00.

Opening hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 14:00–20:00; Saturday: 12:00–16:00. Closed on Monday, Tuesday & Sunday.

Dimitris Rentoumis: Solo Exhibition
2026-05-30 12:00 - 16:00 | Crux Gallery, 4 Sekeri, Athens, 106 74, Greece
Crux Galerie presents the solo exhibition of Dimitris Rentoumis. Through his new series of works, the artist “dialogues” with the transient and fragile nature of paper, experimenting with the transition from a two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional variable materiality. He transforms paper surfaces into sculptural forms that occupy the space.

With a rich journey that includes studies at the Athens School of Fine Arts and the Netherlands, as well as participation in prestigious programmes such as Jan van Eyck and Onassis Air, the creator brings a proposal to Athens that balances the delicacy of the material with the dynamics of the installation.

This is a unique opportunity for the public to discover how paper can “breathe” and develop beyond the boundaries of the frame, creating a living visual environment.

Opening hours: Wednesday–Friday: 12:00–20:00; Saturday: 12:00–16:00. Closed on Monday, Tuesday & Sunday.

Inna Orlik: The Permanent Collection
2026-05-30 12:00 - 18:00, 2026-05-31 12:00 - 18:00 | Orlik Gallery, 3 Palaiologou Benizelou, Athens, 105 56, Greece
Orlik Gallery invites the This is Athens City Festival audience to a distinctive encounter with the visual universe of Inna Orlik. This exhibition brings to the fore a world where contemporary painting enters into a dialogue with mythology, nature, and the human experience, creating an environment rich in symbolism and layers of interpretation.

Defined by bold colours, complex textures, and a singular painterly language, Orlik’s works move between the visible and the suggestive, the personal and the collective. The artist transforms the canvas into a space for narrative and exploration, inviting the viewer to discover forms, symbols, and underlying connections. It is an exhibition tailored for those seeking not only aesthetic intensity in contemporary art but also a substantial, resonant depth.

Opening hours: Daily: 12:00–18:00.

NO MOTTO
2026-05-30 12:30 - 15:00 | Mosaico Fine Art Studio, Kesarias 18-20, Athens, Athens, 115 27, Greece
As part of the This is Athens City Festival 2026, contemporary art finds its voice in “NO MOTTO”, featuring the work of Markos Ntemkas and curated by Dr. Eva Kekou. This presentation of conceptual works invites the public on an aesthetic and philosophical journey exploring the boundaries of imagery, meaning, and artistic identity. Eschewing easy definitions or predetermined conclusions, the exhibition carves out a space for observation and personal interpretation.

The central axis here is self-reflexivity: the way in which art can turn inward to examine its own nature, function, and presence. In “NO MOTTO”, form and content exist in a constant dialogue, creating a field of contemplation that offers no ready-made answers, but instead proposes a more substantial way of seeing. This is an exhibition for those who appreciate a contemporary visual language that challenges, questions, and leaves room for a second thought.
Opening: Sunday, May 24, 18:00–22:00
Opening hours: Monday–Friday: 18:00–21:00; Saturday: 12:30–15:00. Closed on Sunday.

Guided Tour: Nikolas Klironomos Retrospective "1985–2025"
2026-05-30 13:00 - 14:30 | The City of Athens Gallery, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Athens, 104 36, Greece
We invite you to a series of guided tours of the Nikolas Klironomos retrospective, a tour covering forty years of continuous artistic creation. The tour highlights the creator’s dual nature as both painter and set designer, revealing how he “stages” his canvas to transform images of the city and its people into poetic narratives.

As we navigate through his works, we will discover how everyday life meets the dream and how the changing seasons are captured through bold colours and special materials that provide movement and vitality. This is an opportunity to delve into the unseen aspects of time and human existence, understanding how Klironomos manages to give a monumental character to the small, fragmentary moments of our lives. An experiential tour that speaks straight to the heart and memory, offering a comprehensive look at the work of one of the most versatile creators on the contemporary Greek scene.

This activity is only available in Greek.

First Cemetery of Athens: An Open-Air Sculpture Gallery II
2026-05-30 17:00 - 19:00 | First Cemetery of Athens, Logginou 3, Athens, Athens, 116 36, Greece
While Halepas’s “Sleeping Maiden” is undoubtedly the most iconic sculpture in Athens’ First Cemetery, the beauty of this open-air museum goes far beyond its famous headline acts.

As part of the This is Athens City Festival 2026, archaeologist and guide Michalis Giohalas invites us to step off the main path. We’ll be heading up the winding, uphill trails to discover a lesser-known but equally breathtaking side of Modern Greek sculpture. Far from the usual tourist spots, you’ll encounter imposing mausoleums and monuments where a grand passion for legacy meets a crushing, powerful silence.

In this unique space, the mortal world seems to hold a quiet conversation with the immortal. This tour shines a light on hidden masterpieces and the moving human stories behind them, offering a deeply personal look at the artistic and historical heritage of Athens.

Meeting Point: Main Entrance of the First Cemetery of Athens (at the end of Anapafseos Street).

This activity is only available in Greek.

NCSU Jazz Band: The North Carolina "Wolfpack"
2026-05-30 18:00 - 19:30 | National Garden, Vas. Amalias 1, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
This year, the festival welcomes 25 electrifying musicians from North Carolina State University, bringing the smoky, high-octane pulse of America’s great jazz clubs straight to the heart of Athens. Trading their campus in Raleigh for the Athenian stage, the “Wolfpack” arrives with an authentic Big Band sound: roaring brass sections, inexhaustible swing, and the kind of sharp improvisations that keep an audience on the edge of their seats.

Their repertoire is a masterclass in jazz history, paying homage to the legendary greats while pushing into contemporary interpretations that prove the genre is more alive than ever. From Duke Ellington and Count Basie, to Duke Pearson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mark Taylor, Alan Baylock, and everything in between, the NC State Jazz Orchestra will make every effort possible to please a wide variety of musical tastes. It’s a live set where youthful exuberance meets world-class musical pedigree, creating an infectious, celebratory atmosphere. Get ready to find your rhythm because when swing is this authentic, staying still isn’t an option.

Krama Brass Band: Tradition Reimagined
2026-05-30 19:00 - 20:30 | National Historical Museum, Stadiou 13, Athens, Athens, 105 61, Greece
Coming all the way from Cyprus, the Krama Brass Band arrives at the This is Athens City Festival 2026 with a fresh, subversive musical take that completely redefines tradition. Founded in 2023 by musicians Andreas Theocharous and Nikolas Georgiou, this eight-piece powerhouse, featuring six brass instruments, guitar, and percussion, joins forces to create an explosive, contemporary sound.

For 70 minutes, the audience will journey through original compositions and imaginative arrangements of traditional Cypriot songs. It’s a space where the familiar sounds of the Mediterranean meet the freedom of jazz and the structure of classical music.

With a multicultural identity that honours its roots while looking firmly toward the future, the Krama Brass Band showcases Cypriot musical heritage as a vibrant and constantly evolving artistic language. They invite us to a celebration full of rhythm and emotion, right in the heart of Athens.

26 Years Athens DeeJay 95.2
2026-05-30 19:00 - 23:00 | Agion Asomaton Square, Agion Asomaton Square, Athens, Athens, 105 53, Greece
Athens DeeJay 95.2 and its creator, Michalis Tsaousopoulos, are celebrating a unique milestone: 25 years of continuous airwaves. These are 25 years packed with music, countless hits, thousands of happy listeners, and some of the wildest parties the city has ever seen.

At the helm is the most recognisable voice in Greek radio, Michalis Tsaousopoulos. Ever-active, tireless, and always bursting with fresh ideas, he joins the Festival for the fourth consecutive year with one of his signature high-impact appearances. The date is set at the pedestrian junction of Ermou and Asomaton, where the heart of Athens will beat to the freshest rhythms on the decks. Get ready for an explosive DJ set that fuses decades of experience with the latest global hits, transforming Thiseio into a massive open-air celebration.

Athens Photo World: The FIFA World Cup 1930 – 2026 by the Associated Press
2026-05-31 06:00 - 23:30 | National Garden, Vas. Amalias 1, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
Athens Photo World is transforming the fence running around the National Garden into a stunning open-air gallery dedicated to the “king of sports.” This exhibition presents 50 iconic photographs from the historic archives of the Associated Press, offering a fascinating journey through the evolution of the World Cup, from the very first whistle in Uruguay in 1930 to the modern moments of glory currently unfolding on the pitches of the USA, Canada, and Mexico in 2026.

It is a true walk through sporting history along Vasilissis Sofias and Amalias Avenue, where passers-by can pause before high-aesthetic images that capture the intensity, passion, and historic upsets that have shaken the planet for nearly a century. This visual timeline spans nearly 100 years of global football, showcasing the work of world-leading photojournalists who were right there on the touchline. Set against one of the most beautiful walks in the city in the heart of springtime Athens, it is a unique opportunity for photography enthusiasts and football fans alike to discover global sporting history through the eyes of the masters.

Athens Photo World: Michalis Pappas – Mitos, The Thread of Greece
2026-05-31 06:00 - 23:30 | The Athens Concert Hall – Megaron, Vas. Sofias & Kokkali, Athens, 115 21, Greece
For the seventh consecutive year, Athens Photo World returns to the perimeter of the Megaron Athens Concert Hall transforming it into a street gallery, showing a different and deeply personal perspective on Greek identity. As part of the This is Athens City Festival 2026, this year’s exhibition features 13 selected photographs from the broader work of Michalis Pappas, titled “Mitos: The Thread of Greece”.

Moving away from the usual landmarks, Pappas’s lens focuses instead on traditional costumes worn by contemporary figures, proving that tradition is not a fossilised relic of the past, but a living, evolving process that breathes within our daily lives. It is an evocative connection between yesterday and today, inviting passers-by to discover the “thread” that links us to our roots right in the heart of the urban fabric.

Dimitra Siaterli: Cohesive Networks
2026-05-31 10:00 - 16:00 | The City of Athens Gallery, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Athens, 104 36, Greece
This solo exhibition by Dimitra Siaterli is presented as a fascinating journey connecting the artist’s past and present. Spanning from the 1980s and 90s right through to her brand-new productions, the exhibition unfolds in three sections that feel like acts in a play. Visitors will wander through a world of strange minerals, fossils, and mythical creatures, eventually arriving at an “anatomy” of the human form through striking sculptures, meshes, and engravings. Tiny human figures seem to leap out from labyrinths and processions, creating a playful tension between myth and reality. This is an experiential journey that reminds us of the vital human need for connection and our place as a precious part of a vast, collective network. It is a study of coexistence, delivered in a visual language that speaks to the heart about the time and space we all share

Nikolas Klironomos: A Retrospective (1985–2025)
2026-05-31 10:00 - 16:00 | The City of Athens Gallery, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Athens, 104 36, Greece
This major retrospective is a brilliant place to start looking into the work of Nikolas Klironomos, an artist who has spent decades masterfully blurring the lines between fine art and set design.

Klironomos doesn’t just paint; he “directs” his canvases. Think of him as a visual filmmaker who takes the raw, chaotic energy of Athens, our streets, our faces, our light, and filters it through a lens of memory and emotion.

In this exhibition, the mundane meets the dreamlike. You’ll see the changing seasons of the city tangled up with those small, quirky moments that make life in Athens so unique. By playing with vibrant palettes and some rather unusual materials, he creates scenes that feel like they’re in constant motion. It’s a bit like catching a glimpse of Athens from a moving Vespa—everything is fluid, poetic, and strangely alive.

This exhibition is designed to speak directly to your heart and your memory. What’s truly clever is how Klironomos takes “the bits and bobs” of life, those fragmented, everyday moments, and gives them a sense of grandeur and importance. It’s a proper journey into the hidden corners of time and what it actually means to be human.

Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday: 11:00–19:00; Sunday: 10:00–16:00. Closed on Monday.

Theatre Battles in Ancient Athens
2026-05-31 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.

Tilda Swinton: Ongoing
2026-05-31 18:00 - 23:00 | Onassis Ready, 2 Strati Tsirka, Ag. Ioannis Rentis, 182 33, Greece
Marking its fifth year with a great collaboration with Onassis Stegi, we offer an encounter with one of the season’s most keenly discussed artistic propositions. At its centre is Tilda Swinton, a figure who has long moved with deliberate, almost defiant ease between cinema, fashion, and the visual arts, each appearance less a performance than a considered cultural gesture.

The exhibition Ongoing, presented at the recently inaugurated Onassis Ready, resists the tidy framing of a retrospective. Instead, it unfolds as an active, evolving dialogue between Swinton and a close circle of collaborators. Among them Pedro Almodóvar, Luca Guadagnino, Jim Jarmusch, Joanna Hogg, Tim Walker, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Olivier Saillard, and Derek Jarman. Through short films, installations, and photographic works, the exhibition gently dismantles and reassembles the layers of her artistic identity, moving between the dreamlike and the intimately personal. The result is a multi-stranded exhibition that illuminates her rich creative journey and her profound connection to contemporary art.

20 invitations are available from the Onassis Stegi for 22, 24, 29, and 31 May – 5 invitations per day.

Bookings open one week before each event at 12:00 noon and are made via this page.

TiACF 2026 Closing Party
2026-05-31 19:00 - 23:00 | Athinas Str., Athinas Street, Athens, Athens, 105 52, Greece
We never go out with a low-key applause. For this year’s grand finale, we are transforming the iconic Athinas Street into a vast, glowing dancefloor. One of Athens’ most historic thoroughfares will shed its everyday, bustling face, surging with music, lights, and crowds for a closing that will be truly unforgettable.

The evening is a tribute to the timeless magic of disco, the sound that never stopped commanding us to the floor and continues to fuel the fire of today’s electronic music. Top Greek DJs will take to the decks, ready to drop the beat for a non-stop dance marathon packed with glamour, raw energy, and a nostalgic spirit that looks firmly toward the future.

With a massive sound system, a cinematic light show, and thousands of festival-goers merging into one giant crew, Athinas Street becomes the ultimate stage for the most joyful and explosive “farewell” of the year. One last great celebration in the heart of the city, until we meet again.
