World Car-Free Day on Athinas Street

This is Athens - City Festival, organised by the City of Athens, invites everyone to embrace a slice of car-free Athens on World Car-Free Day. Starting at 8 pm on Saturday, September 21 and for 24 hours (that’s until Sunday, September 22 at 8 pm), Athinas Street – one of the city’s most vibrant commercial avenues – will be transformed into a car-free festival space for everyone to enjoy. But that’s just the beginning!

A rich and diverse 24-hour programme has been crafted for the occasion, offering something for every taste. We’re talking bicycle workshops, skateboarding and roller sessions, sunrise storytelling, film screenings, live concerts, DJ sets and much more. Aside from a short break in the early hours of Sunday, the day’s agenda promises a virtually non-stop celebration, catering to all ages and tastes. Events will be happening all along Athinas Street, from Ermou Street to Evripidou Street, so make sure to plan ahead for this fantastic, car-free day in Athens. Check out the detailed programme below, and don’t forget to bring your own wheels!

Saturday 21/09/2024 

• Rolling on Mitropoleos Street: The biggest wheel parade ever in Athens, Meeting point: Syntagma Square, 8 - 9.30 pm
• Agia Fanfara: Music Parade in Monastiraki and the Athinas backstreets, 8 - 9.30 pm
• Skate Jam on Athinas Street, 8.30 – 9.30 pm 
• Athinas Street Party by Enteka Athens, 9 - 11.30 pm
• Midnight Cinema with the Athens International Film Festival Opening Nights: City Lights, Charles Chaplin, 1931, 12 am – 1.30 am
• Midnight Cinema with the Athens International Film Festival Opening Nights: Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders, 1987, 1.45 – 4 am
• Storytelling before Sunrise with Taxiarchis Beligiannis, 4 am – 5.30 am 

Sunday 22/09/24 World Car-Free Day

• DJ Sets, 10 - 4 am, 5 – 6 pm 
• Free Rides for Beginner Skaters with instructed supervision, 10 – 6 pm
• Classical Music with De Profundis Ensemble, 10 – 11.30 am 
• Get Skated & Educated: Skate, roller, and scooter lessons, 10.30 – 11.30 am, 1 - 2.30 pm, 4 - 5.30 pm
• Storytelling: Narrations by Nagia Oikonomopoulou with music by Lida Xydia, Babis Bourekas with music by Maria Georgopoulou, and Taxiarchis Beligiannis with music by Lida Xydia respectively, 10.30  – 11.30 am, 12 - 1 pm, 1.30 - 2.30 pm 
• A Guided Tour of Athinas Street by Athens expert Artemis Skoumpourdi (in Greek), Meeting point: Kotzia Square, 10 am - 12 am 
• Face Painting, 11 – 5 pm 
• Bike Art: Painting with my bike (for children and adults), 11 – 12 pm, 12.30 - 1.30 pm, 2 - 3 pm, 4 - 5 pm
• Traffic Safety Workshop, 11 – 11.45 am, 12 - 12.45 pm, 1 - 1.45 pm, 2 - 2.45 pm, 3 - 3.45 pm
• Walker Race: Balance bike race (for children 2.5 – 5 years old and their parents), 11 – 12 pm
• No-Car Adventure: A car-less city adventure, 11.30 - 12.30 pm, 12.30 - 13.30 pm, 13.30 - 14.30 pm
• Bike Workshop: "How to / Ride safely in the city", 11 – 11.20 am, 1.30 -  1.50 pm, 3.30 - 3.50 pm
• Bike Workshop: "How to / Adjust my bike", 11.30 – 11.50 am, 2 - 2.20 pm, 5 - 5.20 pm
• Urban Cyclist Time Trial: A race for city cyclists, 12 - 1 pm
• Dinoverse: Do you think dinosaurs are extinct? Ross says no., 12 - 3 pm 
• Bike Workshop: "How to / Choose accessories", 1 - 1.20 pm, 3 - 3.20 pm
• Kids Radio Banda Band on Stage, 4 - 5 pm
• Slow Bike Race, 5.30 – 6 pm 
• Locomondo live show, 6 - 8 pm