This is Athens City Festival

Vassilis Papageorgiou - Painting and Sculpture: Lignea Creatura Stans
2025-05-12 11:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-13 11:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-14 11:30 - 20:30, 2025-05-15 11:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Athens) | 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

Apprenticeship Walk: 20 plus 1 Stops
2025-05-12 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

Queer Movie Nights
2025-05-12 18:00 - 23:30 | Trianon Cinema, Kodrigktonos 21, Athens, Athens, 104 34, Greece
Queer Movie Nights is a one-of-a-kind celebration of LGBTQI+ cinema in Athens. Launched in May 2022 to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia and Interphobia, the series has since evolved into a dedicated platform for screening queer short and feature films, as well as documentaries. Its mission is to create a safe, expressive space where queer stories from around the world can shine through the powerful lens of cinema.

Lycabettus Sunset Live - Petros Klampanis
2025-05-12 20:30 - 22:30 | Church of Saint George of Lycabettus, Lycabettus Hill, Athens, Athens, 114 71, Greece
During the 2020 pandemic, Petros Klampanis found his own light at the end of the tunnel and created Rooftop Stories—his fifth album and most personal work to date, built entirely around the double bass.

The project began as a series of videos filmed on rooftops around the world, where Klampanis performed solo with only his bass, an amp, and a few electronic effects—turning each set into a musical travel keepsake. In 2021, these stories were released as an album on his own label, PKmusik.

Now, Rooftop Stories comes to the courtyard of Agios Georgios Lycabettus—the city’s most scenic balcony—for a one-of-a-kind solo performance. With loops, percussion, voice and bass, Klampanis takes us on an intimate sonic journey through cities and songs, all reimagined through his lens.

CONQUISTADORS
2025-05-13 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-14 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-15 10:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-16 10:00 - 18:00 | 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

Giorgos Gyzis: Clippings: Athens
2025-05-13 11:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-14 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-05-15 11:00 - 20:30, 2025-05-16 11:00 - 20:30 | 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

Piano City Athens
2025-05-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilantou 45-47, Athens, Athens, 106 76, Greece
The healing power of music is undeniable. In collaboration with Piano City Athens, the This is Athens City Festival brings music to Evangelismos—the city’s largest hospital—offering moments of calm and comfort to those who need it most.

The initiative is addressed exclusively to the medical, nursing, and administrative staff of the hospital.

Vassilis Karakatsanis: Urban Tools
2025-05-13 12:00 - 21:00, 2025-05-15 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

Discover the National Typography Museum - MET
2025-05-14 10:30 - 12:00 | National Printing House Museum, Kapodistriou 34, Athens, Athens, 104 32, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

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.

Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum: Curators Tour
2025-05-14 12:00 - 13:30 | Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, Kallisperi 12, Αθήνα, Athens, 117 42, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

Guided tour of the permanent collections of the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum by one of the museum’s curators.

Video screening in specially designed spaces, focusing on the history of the collections and ancient metalworking techniques.

Visit to the Live Metalworking & Decorative and Visual Arts Studios: These two live workshops offer visitors the experience of interacting with artists and creators, giving them the opportunity to actively participate in the exchange of knowledge and information about the secrets of jewelry making and contemporary creation and design.

Cyprus 74 - Never Forget
2025-05-14 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 memory exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Through rare posters from the era and corresponding photographic material, the exhibition aims to highlight the events of the Cypriot tragedy, the nationwide solidarity with the people of Cyprus, and their ongoing struggle for freedom and justice.

Fitness Sessions
2025-05-14 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 Square: Naya Oikonomopoulou - Maria Georgopoulou
2025-05-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Agios Pavlos Square, Agios Pavlos Square, Athens, Athens, 104 38, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek.

As much fiction, as much truth! Whether at festivals, libraries, museums, schools, cafés, or under a large oak tree, a fairy tale needs nothing more than someone to tell it and someone to listen – as long as both have an open heart.

Nagia Oikonomopoulou tells myths and fairy tales from the oral tradition, captivating both young and old, with the enchanting musical accompaniment of Maria Georgopoulou, a classical guitar teacher, music educator, and composer.

Sonoridades Lusofonas
2025-05-14 19:00 - 21:30 | Kypseli Municipal Market, Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens, Athens, 113 61, Greece
The Kypseli Municipal Market is transformed into a vibrant crossroads of cultures, hosting a unique experience dedicated to the dances and musical traditions of the Portuguese-speaking world.

From Angola and Mozambique to Brazil, Cape Verde, and Portugal, the Athenian audience will journey with music as its ark and the Portuguese Language as its map, discovering the common cultural thread that unites both sides of the Atlantic.

Miranda Verouli and Choro Plus will perform beloved pieces from the Fados of Amália Rodrigues, the Mornas of Cesária Évora, the Sambas of Caetano Veloso, and the Bossa Nova of Sérgio Mendes, framed by rare sounds from Lusophone Africa.

The stage comes alive even more with Victoria KizzArte and The KizzLab team, who will draw us into the rhythms of traditional Semba and the sensual Kizomba of Angola.
The dance journey concludes with Forró Atenas, who will transport the audience to the warm atmosphere of a Brazilian celebration.

A musical journey-ode to the peoples and cultures that weave the blue veil of the Portuguese language.

May 14, 2025 | 19:00 | Free Entrance

A synergy of the City of Athens Festival and the Embassy of Portugal, with the support of Camões, I.P., as part of the celebrations for World Portuguese Language Day (May 5th).

Leonard Cohen Tribute
2025-05-14 20:00 - 23:00 | Athens Book Space, Athens Book Space, Athens, Athens, 115 21, Greece
Three of the most distinctive and fresh voices in Greek music—Nalyssa Green, Sugahspank! and Lou Is—pay tribute to the legendary Leonard Cohen. Backed by a stellar band, they bring new life to songs that have left a lasting mark on music history.

Seven years after its powerful debut, this moving tribute returns for a captivating afternoon in the courtyard of the Athens Book Space.

How to Fit Inside the City
2025-05-15 12:00 - 20:00 | 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

The History of the Katakouzenos House Through Time and the Role of a House-Museum in Our Era
2025-05-15 18:30 - 20:00 | The Katakouzenos House, Vasilisis Amalias 4, Athens, Athens, 105 57, Greece
This event will only be available in Greek. A lecture on the literary salon of the Katakouzenos family in the 1960s, focusing on the history, work, and contributions of the Katakouzenos couple, and how it transformed into a house-museum from 2008 to the present. The lecture will also explore what a house-museum can offer in an era of constant change. Speaker: Sophia E. Peloponisiou-Vassilakou, Museologist, Curator of the Katakouzenos House

From Earth to Sky
2025-05-15 19:00 - 22:00 | Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, Philopappos Hill, Athens, Athens, 117 41, Greece
This activity is only available in Greek. A special walking tour exploring the archaeological and astronomical landmarks around the hills surrounding the National Observatory, timed with the magical Athenian sunset. The journey begins on the western hills of the Acropolis: Pnyx, the Hill of the Nymphs, and Philopappos (the Hill of the Muses), where the layers of ancient Athens’ daily life and history unfold. Highlights include the Sanctuary of the Muses, the impressive tomb of Prince Philopappos, the Kimonian Graves, the church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris, the ancient districts of Melite and Koile with their carved rock remains, the historic Pnyx assembly site, Meton’s Heliotropion – an ancient observatory – and the so-called “Prison of Socrates.” All these points are beautifully linked by the stone-paved paths of Dimitris Pikionis, a unique project blending the old and the new, the past and the present. From here, sweeping views over the city open up, leading to the Sina building on the Hill of the Nymphs, home to Greece’s first research institution: the National Observatory of Athens, founded in 1842. At the Geoastrophysics Museum, visitors will learn about the modern history of astronomy in Greece. The walk concludes with a sky observation session through one of the Observatory’s telescopes.

Midnight Express: Star Trek
2025-05-15 19:30 - 23:00 | National Observatory of Athens, Lofos Nymphon, Athens, Athens, 118 10, Greece
Midnight Express is the brainchild of film critic Akis Kapranos, inspired by a longing for the magical midnight screenings once held at legendary Athens cinemas like Alphaville and Cine Dexameni—a personal mission to bring them back to life.

Now, Midnight Express steps out of the dark and into the light. In the beautiful garden of the Athens Observatory, the original Star Trek film returns to the screen—a reminder of bold, visionary cinema. A chance for older generations to revisit it, for younger ones to discover it, and for everyone to share in a truly iconic viewing experience.

Booking required.

Food and Wine Experience - Restaurant of Benaki Museum of Greek Culture
2025-05-15 20:30 - 23:00 | Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, Koubari 1, Athens, Athens, 106 74, Greece
The Greek vineyard meets leading figures of the Athenian culinary scene in some of the city’s most iconic museums. Top labels from beloved Greek estates, distinguished wines, and hidden treasures accompany creations that celebrate and showcase the products of the Greek land in surprising pairings.

Once again this year, the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture joins the Athens Municipality Festival, presenting a premier fine dining experience curated by Wine Style. This exclusive event will be hosted at the Museum’s exquisite restaurant, situated on the magnificent rooftop of its neoclassical building. Guests will enjoy unparalleled panoramic views encompassing the National Garden, the Hellenic Parliament, and Lycabettus Hill.

Featuring a meal catered by “Deipnosofistirion”, each dish is harmoniously paired with wines from the iconic Tselepos and Driopi Estates, located on the Mantineia plateau and in Nemea, respectively. The wines will be presented by Aris Tselepos.

MENU

First Course Colorful cherry tomatoes, rock samphire (kritamos), feta cream, carob powder & Greek salad gazpacho dressing
Wine Pairing: Kydonitsa 2024, Driopi Estate

Second Course Assortment of mushrooms with blue cheese crumbles, smoked Tsakonian eggplant cream & sourdough bread
Wine Pairing: Rosé 2024, Driopi Estate

Main Course Flank steak tagliata with glazed Florina peppers, caper chutney, and crispy pita
Wine Pairing: Nemea Reserve, Driopi Estate

Dessert Pistachio – Raspberry On a crispy biscuit base, pistachio cremeux & mousse with red raspberry sauce, accompanied by raspberry sorbet
Wine Pairing: Amalia Rosé NV, Tselepos Estate

Espresso coffee & chocolate truffles

For Bookings: 210 3671030
