Hello June: Festival Season Kicks In
Athens’ transformation when summer hits is like flipping through the pages of a child’s pop-up book. Suddenly, everything springs to life and takes on a whole new dimension. June is the month for festivals in Athens and this year’s round-up is one of the richest and most diverse we’ve seen in a while.
Release Festival ushers in the summer season at Water Plaza on the Athenian seafront. This year’s line-up is a trip down memory lane with New Order, Johnny Marr and Iggy Pop in pole position. Metalheads can also rock out to performances by Manowar, Clutch, Alice in Chains, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Disturbed, Anthrax and more. Browse the full line-up here.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, Ejekt Festival has booked a terrific line-up on July 17th headlined by British legends The Cure. Michael Kiwanuka, Ride, Khruangbin and The Steams are also performing.
The Summer Nostos Festival at the SNFCC is one of the season’s greatest hits. It’s a free, week-long celebration in late June packed with sports, screenings and family-friendly activities, performing and visual arts, and open-air music concerts by global stars. Neneh Cherry, Low, Andrew Bird and more are on this year’s bill.
Plisskën Festival has booked some amazing cutting-edge artists for its summer edition in buzzy Technopolis. Giorgio Moroder is the headliner, with Jungle, The Black Madonna, Tinariwen, Boy Harsher, Hunee and 29 more live acts and DJ sets to uncork during this 2-day electronic spree in the heart of Athens.
Plissken is not the only fiesta Technopolis has up its sleeve. 2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the transformation of the old gasworks into a cultural venue that pulls in more than one million visitors a year. Jazz, hip-hop, rock, swing and Greek concerts are all on the menu this summer.
If green is more your scene, check out the action in the gardens of the Athens Concert Hall. You might hear anything from pop, jazz or classical music during their summer concert series, which kicks off with Leon of Athens & Irene Skylakaki on June 7.
Last but not least, the Athens & Epidaurus Festival is in full flight all summer long. Be sure to catch an unforgettable open-air concert or opera at the Roman Odeon of Herodes Atticus beneath the Acropolis. Tindersticks, Jethro Tull, Dead Can Dance, Yo-Yo Ma and Loreena McKennitt are just some of 2019’s hot acts. Check out our top ten picks from this year’s line-up or visit the official website for the full monty.