Greek summer is all about stunning beaches, magical sunsets and quaint seaside taverns. Yet, a great many people love Greek summer for its numerous amazing cultural events and festivals; live concerts on the beach, performances on ancient stone theatres and visual art exhibitions and events.
Cultural festivals are no longer held exclusively in Athens and Thessaloniki. Concerts and performances on the Greek islands have grown into unique summer rituals, taking place every summer in Syros, Crete and elsewhere.
Before you board a ship for the Aegean, let’s take a look at some of the most interesting festivals taking place this summer.
8th Akropoditi DanceFest in Syros
Syros invites you to the 8th International Dance and Dance Theatre Festival, “Akropoditi DanceFest”, which will be held outdoors.
To make the Festival possible this year, the organizers had to look at Syros through a different lens. The search for outdoor spaces has created a different relationship with the island and its many distinct places, which makes this year’s edition of the festival a little more special.
The programme features artists from Greece and abroad. Apart from dance and dance theatre performances and improvisations, Akropoditi also offers educational workshops lasting from two to ten days for all, beginners, amateurs and professionals.
Info: 10-23 July, Iroon Polytechniou 84, Hermoupolis, +30 22810 80690, https://www.akropoditi.com/dancefest/el/
7th Andros International Festival
Andros welcomes you to the 7th International Festival taking place at the Open Theatre of Hora, under the artistic direction of Pantelis Voulgaris.
Each year, the festival offers a rich program of events and performances. The musical concerts include performances by artists, bands and orchestras, while dance, theatre and shadow theatre performances will also take place.
As the artistic director commented, during the festival’s previous editions, we have had some beautiful evenings full of music, dance and theatre. So, let’s have our seventh date at the Open Theatre of Hora.
Info: 01-20 August, Open Theatre of Hora, +30 694 73 02 300, https://www.festivalandros.gr/
11th Dance Days Chania
The International Contemporary Dance Festival Dance Days Chania takes place this year for the 11th time. Dance Days was born out of the need to address the economic and social crisis several years ago. Today, when crises have taken a new and unprecedented form, the festival is more relevant than ever.
The festival features performances by Greek and foreign artists, as well as lectures, video dance shows and other activities in several locations in the city of Chania.
The festival’s trump card, however, is its impressive seminar programme, which focuses on everything from technique to repertoire and dramaturgy.
Info: 18/07-01/08, Eleftheriou Venizelou 89 Chania, +30 28210 86217, https://dancedays.gr/el/festival-gr/
6th Koufonisia Classical Music Festival
Since 2016, summers in Koufonisia are full of music. The Classical Music Festival has become an important part of the cultural identity of the island. At the same time it has secured its place among the most important festivals in Greece.
This year it hosts once again renowned artists from Greece and abroad.
One of the main aims of the Festival is to bring young people in touch with classical music. As part of its programme you will fiery piano, clarinet-piano, violin-piano and lyrical singing recitals, while you will dive into the history of Greek poetry from antiquity to the present day.
Info: 14-31 July, Michailidis Residence, Ano Koufonisi, +30 694 45 70 740, https://koufonisiaclassical.com/
