For theatergoers in Athens, watching the tragic story of the young geisha Cio-Cio-San unfold in Puccini’s emotionally charged classic has become a familiar favorite at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the stone theater the Romans built at the foot of the Acropolis more than 1,800 years ago. Late Thursday, it hosted an open-air performance of “Madame Butterfly” to launch Greece’s main summer theater and arts festival, dedicated this year to Callas and the century since her birth in Manhattan on Dec. 2, 1923. She died of a heart attack at her home in Paris at age 53. Officially known as the Athens-Epidaurus Festival, the summer concerts and plays are also held at the ancient theater of Epidaurus, the UNESCO world heritage site in southern Greece. Much of the program was chosen to complement the centenary celebrations. Ticket sales from June performances by an opera world power couple, French tenor Roberto Alagna and Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak, will help fund the planned summer opening of a Callas Museum in central Athens, according to festival artistic director Katerina Evangelatos. “It’s all part of the year’s celebrations marking the 100 years ... since the birth of the great diva of opera,” Evangelatos said. Finally free of constraints imposed by the pandemic, the festival has been expanded this year to include new venues and additional collaboration with overseas artists, festivals and theater companies. Organizers also created a new online platform to help Greek performers seek opportunities abroad. “One of the main objectives of the festival has always been to be outward-looking,” Evangelatos told reporters during a recent presentation of this year’s festival. “We don’t want to just bring artists from abroad, we want to build collaboration and relationships.” The lineup this year includes the superstar Chinese pianist Lang Lang, the German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, classical pianist and conductor Christoph Eschenbach and the pioneering German electronic band Kraftwerk, as well as a performance by Icelandic band Sigur Ros with the London Contemporary Orchestra. The Greek National Opera produced “Madame Butterfly,” choosing French director Olivier Py and the Italian choreographer Daniel Izzo. The title role was given to soprano Anna Sohn, who on Thursday gave the first of four scheduled performances. Sohn partnered with Italian tenor Andrea Carè for a sparse interpretation of the Italian classic, featuring giant helium-filled balloons, dancers in head-to-toe white makeup and time-bending backdrops that included scenes of Japan’s World War II nuclear devastation and modern banner ads for major U.S. commercial brands. Publicist Constance Shuman, who promotes the work of the Greek National Opera in the United States, said a performance by the company was a fitting start for the festival in the year marking what would have been Callas’ 100th birthday. Born Maria Kalogeropoulos, the singer made her professional debut with the GNO in Athens as an 18-year-old student. “When she became internationally known, she always came back here, and she really is emblematic of what this opera company is about,” Shuman said. “This is the opening of the Maria Callas year, but her early years are not known about by a lot of people,” she said. “So this is a chance to tell people about how Greece and the Greek National Opera contributed to her becoming Maria Callas.”    

A total of 150 riders with 210 horses from 10 European countries will take part in this year’s edition, which includes four international competitions – the Longines EEF World Cup EEF Series Athens, a children’s race, a young horse race and a race for lower categories. The Nations Cup on Sunday is a qualifier for the southern region of the Longines EEF Series.           Other events for young and old friends of the sport will take place alongside the competitions, within the framework of the festival.

The festival opens with prolific multi-instrumentalist and composer Tilemachos Moussas in an ambient-experimental program, and closes with French singer and ethnomusicologist Francoise Atlan, renowned for her Sephardic, Arabic and Andalusian repertoire. Admission is free of charge, though seats must be pre-booked via ticketservices.gr.

The event opens officially with a party in the garden of the Association of Greek Archaeologists in Thiseio on May 27th and culminates at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center on June 9 and 10th. In the meantime, though, bartenders and mixologists at bars across the city will be exhibiting their skills for Athens Cocktail Week, running from May 26th to June 4th. For details about the event and the venues taking part it in, visit the website. www.athenscocktailfestival.com

Running through Saturday, this year’s installment is being celebrated by more than 100 bookstores across the country and includes over 150 events, including presentations and talks by popular writers and illustrators. Apart from underscoring the passion and knowledge that independent booksellers bring to the business, and the way they bring together people who share the passion of reading, the event also seeks to showcase the work of a new generation of writers and illustrators, as well as reaching out to children.

The city's longest-running music event, the standard appointment of jazz fans in Athens, is organized for the 22nd year, with free entrance, allowing Athenians and visitors to the city to enjoy live renowned artists and emerging bands from Greece and abroad performing on the Technopolis main stage in 21 concerts, making the festival one of the most diverse in recent years. As tradition demands, the first day of the Athens Jazz is dedicated to the Greek jazz scene, presenting the three Greek bands chosen by the festival's artistic committee. On Monday (May 22), the promising Thomas Mitrousis Quartet kicks off as the festival's new music proposal, with a unique sound mixture ranging from modern jazz to classical and post-rock music. He is followed by the Nefeli Fasouli Quintet, which stood out in the Jazz+ category as it masterfully combines the tradition of African-American jazz with Greek folk music. Finally, the Spiral Trio, one of our country's most important jazz trios with international status and visibility, will close the first day as the official Greek participation of the festival. The international program starts on Tuesday (May 23), with the multi-award-winning Hungarian singer and songwriter Veronika Harcsa who, with her exceptional singing voice, awakens a wide range of emotions with sounds from both contemporary and classic jazz, assisted by the guitarist Bálint Gyémánt. She is succeeded by the young Belgian bassist Jonathan Collin-Bouhon who, with his jazz pieces and compositions not limited to the genre, comes with his musicians to present fresh melodies with dreamy timbre and covers of classical pieces. Next in line is Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity, the group that deservedly represents the rich Norwegian jazz scene. They released their debut album on the iconic ECM label last year and will enchant us with a highly melodic and improvisational acoustic live. On Wednesday (May 24), the dynamic quartet of AJS Quartet (Albanian Jazz Society), the first Albanian participation in the festival's history, opens the concert with Balkan sounds and rhythms. Next, the most famous jazz group of our neighbouring country will pass the baton to the Rembrandt Trio, the group of the Dutch pianist Rembrandt Frerichs with their wide range of music reaching up to the music cultures of the Arab world. Next is the explosive Tygroo band from the Czech Republic. Their wind instruments and percussion will take us on an unpredictable musical journey, where traditional Balkan and Jewish sounds meet funk, hip hop, disco, dubstep and electro-pop. On Thursday (May 25) the festival welcomes pianist Joel Lyssarides, the rising star of the Swedish and the wider European jazz scene, who steadily walks the path of narrative, melodic jazz with his trio. The Danes I Think You're Awesome are next to present their musical horizons. From Scandinavian progressive ambient or straightforward folk to African rhythms or classical jazz form, each album always hides something different. Finally, representing Switzerland, the legendary Erik Truffaz, with the 30-year performance artist, one of the most important figures of contemporary jazz internationally, shares with the audience his great straight jazz, hip hop, drum 'n' bass and world echoes in a live show. On Friday (May 26) Quintedo from Cyprus, the new group of saxophonist Marios Charalambous, will cover the entire jazz spectrum, just before the rising Candlelight Ficus from Austria lures the audience into a feelgood and highly uplifting musical journey with unstoppable groove, strong pop melodies and apparent influences from Vulfpeck to John Mayer through Michael Jackson. Last but not least, the Italian Raphael Gualazzi, a singer, pianist and composer who brought his country back to the popular Eurovision Song Contest. Gualazzi passes flawlessly from jazz to blues, both in their traditional and most modern forms, while maintaining the tradition of Italian pop songs. On Saturday (May 27) the audience will welcome the German artist KID BE KID, a phenomenon of Berlin’s modern, polymorphic music scene: she sings and beatboxes at the same time, being a virtuoso in piano or electronic keyboards, while with her unique stage presence, she sets up an amazing show. The French OZMA are next to walk onto the stage with their explosive jazz that knows no aesthetic barriers, flirting comfortably with rock or traditional music with open horizons and electronic landscapes. The trio of Spanish pianist Daniel García Diego comes next, heralding the bright future of European jazz, mixing musical streams such as jazz and flamenco, classical and folk Spanish music, as well as rock and electronic music in a way that is always creatively exciting and aesthetically clean. Sunday (May 28) begins with the experienced saxophonist Maxime Bender from Luxembourg. With a wide range of contemporary and improvisational melodic jazz, soul and rock influences, the music world of Maxime Bender's 'Universal Sky' is not trapped in restrictive labels. Then comes Israeli pianist Guy Mintus who creatively blends his Middle Eastern musical roots with classical and jazz forms and styles, creating a distinctive sonic blend. Finally, the British Jackson Mathod, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist and singer, will focus on a euphoric jazz fusion, uplifting the spirits. This year, the Athens Jazz experience is complemented by a series of side events inside and outside the Technopolis. The festival attendants will be able to enjoy the photo exhibition of the METAPolis team, the rich, nomadic market of Meet Market and the wide range of Vinyl Market records. Moreover, especially for this year when the Industrial Gas Museum celebrates its 10th anniversary, the museum spaces will be open to the public (18:00-20:00), with free admission. This year, the club program of the Athens Jazz in the neighbouring Gazarte is unique. First, the iconic composer and musician Roy Ayers will perform for the last time in our country on Tuesday (May 23), as part of the 'Farewell Tour'. Next, the Kosmos Jazz Party on Saturday (May 27) presents the sweeping Jerome Kaluta for an uplifting live that will precede the highly danceable DJ set by the famous producers of Kosmos 93.6. Finally, unsurpassed jazz conductor Billy Cobham will celebrate on Monday (May 29), the 50th anniversary of the release of his legendary album 'Spectrum', ideally closing this year's festival. More information on the parallel events program of the 22nd Athens Jazz will be announced soon. The Athens Jazz Festival can also be found on Facebook & Instagram (#AthensJazz and #AthensJazz2023), as well as the dedicated channel on YouTube. Additional information is also available at the website https://athensjazz.gr/. Please check the site for ticketed and free admission events.

The gothic thriller has been digitally restored – and approved by the legendary filmmaker – to mark the 30th anniversary since its original release, and stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves. Admission costs 7 Euros and doors open at 22:00.

More than 200 events in the city's 129 neighborhoods from May 1-31st, 2023. The municipal authority invites residents and guests to celebrate the Greek capital with the Athens City Festival (cityfestival.thisisathens.org), a rich program of live performances, exhibitions, historical tours, lectures and walks, which also includes a special section encouraging the use of bicycles in the city center. One of the headline acts is the renowned Cinematic Orchestra, which will be giving a concert, free of charge, at Kotzia Square, on May 6th. The British act has delivered some of the most memorable songs of the last 2 decades, such as “To Build a Home” and “Arrival of the Birds,” while powering emotional scenes in TV series such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Suits,” “One Tree Hill” and “Orange Is the New Black.” Highlited events: Gyzi Street Party by Reverb, May 5th Victoria Street Party by Reverb, May 11th Deep Breath in the Park, 12,26/05/2023 -Doing the downward dog as the sun sets sounds as idyllic as it is. Don't miss the chance to exercise with some of the city’s top yoga instructors in one of Athens’ most beautiful parks. All you have to do is bring your mat and energy. After all, yoga in nature is always a good idea! This is incorporated with “Athens is Back” - an initiative of the City of Athens, in partnership with the Athens Traders Association and implemented by the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency, aiming to support businesses operating in Athens. As part of this initiative, the “Athens is Back” platform has been launched, inviting local businesses to showcase their current offers and discounts to all residents and visitors.

The festival is spread out across the stunning Herod Atticus Theater, the cool Pireos 260 theater complex and the spectacular Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, among other venues. Tickets are on sale via the festival’s website (aefestival.gr) and tend to go fast for the bigger events, so now is a good time to start booking. The Ancient Theater of Epidaurus is regarded as the best preserved ancient theater in Greece in terms of its perfect acoustics and fine structure. It was constructed in the late 4th Century B.C. and it was finalized in 2 stages.   Visit our directory to discover all there is to know about Epidaurus and the Athens Festival: https://www.athens24.com/directory/ancient-theater-of-epidauros.html

Through DJ sets and live performances centered around an elaborate and bold curatorial concept, Borderline Festival explores new sounds and technologies, deconstructs the commonly known music genres and how pop music constantly reinvents itself, and re-approaches the future of the experimental electronic music scene. Noise, acceleration, and multiplicity. Borderline 2023 is an exploration of the ways that avant-garde music and its techniques (loops, samples, distorted vocals) have bled into mainstream music. A new generation of artists has access to cheaper hardware and software and all the world's music at their fingertips thanks to the internet. Lines between genres crumble, new sounds and technologies emerge. Pop is dead and more alive than ever as it absorbs and metabolizes these changes. In Borderline 2023, young Greek creators, members of the vibrant local community, meet with rising international artists at three unexpected spots all over the city, creating a new soundtrack for Athens: a Mediterranean mosaic reflecting the constantly shifting musical landscape, bringing the so-called periphery back to the center of cultural production.From the open-to-all events at the Municipal Market of Kypseli to the late-night concerts at Gagarin 205 and the live performances at the Exhibition Hall -1 of Onassis Stegi. The longest-running festival of Stegi returns once again to Athens, further pursuing the exploration of the boundary lines between arts, cultures, and traditions. Borderline 2023 is curated by Movement Radio, Onassis Stegi's web radio.

The 1st Athens Civil Society Festival, which takes place in Serafio from April 21 to April 23 - with free entrance - is dedicated to the work and actions of Civil Society organizations and their interaction with the city and its residents. During the 3 days of the festival (from 10:00 to 22:00) the participating groups will present their actions, work and vision, while together they will highlight the importance of contribution and cooperation in a city like Athens, with the great need for solidarity, but also with the unlimited possibilities to send the message that "together we are stronger."

"Dreamland is a wish, an urge, a spark. It has been created out of the need to have and to offer access to experimental and poetic cinema in Athens for a wider audience, beyond but also including audiences who love cinema and watch a lot of films. We believe that this kind of films open up gateways to different worlds, thus expanding the way we perceive reality and its possibilities." Hosted by the Greek Film Archive (tainiothiki.gr), Dreamland opens with shorts by Smith on Friday and will also include “Days” by Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Zayne Armstrong, with English subtitles, on Saturday, among other screenings. Visit dreamlandfilmfestival.gr to find out more.