Summer 2025: What’s Going on in Athens

Live from the Hill

Exactly sixty years ago, an open-air theater opened atop Lycabettus Hill, quickly becoming a cultural landmark famed for unforgettable performances set against the sweeping skyline of Athens. Perched 277 meters above sea level in a natural hollow left behind by a quarry that operated until 1919, the theater reopened last year after a decade-long renovation. This season’s eclectic lineup includes Beth Gibbons, Jethro Tull (September 20), and Cretan music star Giannis Haroulis (October 4), among others. The easiest way to get there is by taxi, which will drop you right at the entrance. For the return trip, we recommend walking down the forested path to the ring road. From there, it’s a scenic 15-minute stroll to Kolonaki. Panagiotis Koustas

© Allspice | Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures, 2025 | Installation view | A collaboration between NEON + the Acropolis Museum | Photography

© Natalia Tsoukala | Courtesy ΝΕΟΝ, the Acropolis Museum and the artist

The Acropolis Museum Experience

In the shadow of the Sacred Rock stands the Acropolis Museum, inaugurated in 2009 and now one of the most visited museums in the world. Before ascending to the third-floor gallery – home to the remaining sections of the Parthenon frieze – visitors journey through centuries of history, exploring artifacts uncovered on the Acropolis slopes and dating from the Mycenaean era to early Christianity, including five of the six original Caryatids from the Erechtheion. Before leaving, return to the ground floor to explore the museum’s temporary exhibitions. Until October 31st, the space hosts “Allspice: Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures,” a striking dialogue between the colorful, politically charged work of the Iraqi-American artist and ancient objects from the southeastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Panagiotis Koustas

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theacropolismuseum.gr

A Monumental Exhibition at EMST

Set aside at least three hours; you’ll need that long to absorb this monumental exhibition, but it is time you won’t regret spending here. Taking over nearly the entire National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), from level -1 to the third floor, “Why Look at Animals?” has become the talk of the town, prompting visitors to reconsider how the idea of justice applies beyond the human realm. The works on view explore the complex co-existence between humans and animals, ranging from the bronze cats of Greek sculptor Euripides Vavouris (1911-1987) to large-scale installations by Emma Talbot. A particular highlight is Janis Rafa’s third-floor solo show “We Betrayed the Horses,” a haunting, poetic installation investigating the relationship between humans and horses. Panagiotis Koustas

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Until February 15, 2026

emst.gr

Magnetized a Centenary Tribute to Takis

At one of Takis’ early exhibitions, a young John Lennon met Yoko Ono for the first time. A century after his birth, the visionary sculptor – whose works are housed in institutions from MoMA to the Pompidou, and whose magnetic signal sculptures greet commuters at Athens’ Syngrou-Fix metro station – is being honored with a major retrospective. Organized by the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, the exhibition spans its museums in Andros and Athens. At the latter, located in the city’s lively Pangrati neighborhood, the focus is exclusively on his iconic magnetic works. The show runs through November 2. Panagiotis Koustas

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© REINIS LISMANIS, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

Oscar Murillo Sends a Message from Kolonaki

The elegant neoclassical townhouse – crisp white lines with bay windows and a soft flood of natural light – at 22 Anapiron Polemou, a quiet steep street in Kolonaki, has served as Gagosian Athens’ home for the past five years. The space, part of the global constellation of galleries founded by powerhouse art dealer Larry Gagosian, regularly hosts some of the city’s most compelling exhibitions. Until August 30, the gallery is presenting “A Telegram to my Dear Suki,” a solo show by Oscar Murillo, featuring drawings, paintings and video from ongoing projects by the Colombian artist, who famously shared the 2019 Turner Prize with his co-nominees in a gesture of solidarity. Panagiotis Koustas

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gagosian.com

Music Beneath the Pines

Tucked into the pine-covered slope behind Filopappou Hill – just across from the Acropolis and hidden among ruins and secret city paths – lies a little-known open-air theater. Built in 1963 to host performances by the Dora Stratou Dance Theatre, this historic venue has now found fresh life through a new music festival. The Hill Sessions offer ten nights of live music by Greek and international artists, including a performance by Lena Platonos, a legendary figure of 1970s Greek avant-garde music. Giorgos Psomiadis

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grdance.org

Sunset Sessions at the SNFCC

It’s hard to capture in a few lines everything that’s on offer at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) for the casual visitor. Home to the National Library of Greece, the Greek National Opera, and one of the city’s most impressive parks, it has become one of Athens’ most vital hubs for culture, leisure and civic life, and it’s a landmark of sustainable design and public access as well. On Wednesdays until September 10, top Greek DJs take over the decks at the Lighthouse Terrace and the Canal. Expect global sounds, fresh vibes, and unforgettable sunsets. Giorgos Psomiadis

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snfcc.org

Cinema Under the Stars

Imagine, if you will, watching the classic Western “For a Few Dollars More” on a basketball court under the stars. That’s just one of the unexpected moments you might experience at the Athens Open Air Film Festival. Since 2011, the festival has been transforming the entire city into an open-air cinema, offering free screenings of popular films in some of its most iconic – and some of its most unlikely – locations. From archaeological sites and neighborhood squares to basketball courts and industrial buildings, each screening takes place somewhere different, inviting you to see Athens anew, one frame at a time. Expect everything from silent films with live musical accompaniment to restored classics, world premieres, and new gems from the Greek indie scene. Whether it’s your first time in the city or your hundredth, the AOAFF is a rare opportunity to fall in love with both cinema and Athens in the most unexpected corners. Pandelis Tsompanis

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aoaff.gr

A Love Letter in Seven Tracks

If you traveled to Athens by airplane this summer, chances are you were greeted by the unmistakable sound of a bouzouki as you stepped into the arrivals hall at Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. This subtle, musical welcome to Greece is part of a project that rethinks some well-known works.

“Bou-zou-ki” is the latest release by Ermis, a talented Greek neoclassical composer and pop producer, who reimagines seven iconic classical pieces – from Debussy and Schubert to Chopin, Mozart, Barber and Saint-Saëns – through the unmistakable voice of Greece’s most emblematic instrument, the bouzouki.

Far from parody or pastiche, the result is a dreamy experience that’s part cinematic, part folkloric and entirely sincere. The album asks, “What would the music of Debussy and Schubert sound like if they had met composers like Xarhakos or Zambetas and fallen in love with Greece?”

It took two full years to complete just 16 minutes of music. During that time, Ermis listened exclusively to classical works and traditional Greek recordings, deconstructing and reassembling, until he found the ideal soloist for his compositions: bouzouki virtuoso Thodoris Xintaris.

“The release coincided with my 30th birthday,” Ermis says, “marking the beginning of a new chapter. After years of exploring different paths in music, I now feel more grounded than ever: choosing the essential over the excessive, starting each morning with a swim, splitting my time between Athens and Chios. Still learning. Still dreaming. Still devoted to scoring the modern Greek experience.” Vlasis Kostouros

Kypseli Rising

Once a lively downtown neighborhood that slowly faded into residential quietitude, Kypseli is once again bursting with cultural and culinary energy. Housed in a 1920 neoclassical residence beside the Pedion tou Areos Park, Ninetto Gallery, which takes its name from Ninetto Davoli, the lover and muse of Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, is a new star on Athens’ contemporary art scene. Founded by Romain Bitton and Fred de Schonen, the space hosts exhibitions, residencies and international collaborations that favor storytelling, wit and subversion.

On pedestrianized Fokionos Negri Street, Topa is a spirited newcomer that blends the feel of a Cretan kafeneio with that of Basque country eateries. The menu items, drawn from the culinary tradition of both regions, are made for sharing and come paired with excellent wine, vermouth or spirits. “Topa” means “cheers” in Basque, and that’s the energy here: honest food, good music and a room full of strangers becoming friends.

At 40 Ithakis Street, a former pastry shop is now one of the city’s most atmospheric cocktail bars. Teleion has old fridges repurposed as countertops, lovingly crafted drinks, soft lighting and entrancing music, all working together to charm you. Georgia Fekou

Bar Ideal Sounds Like Athens

With retro vibes, 1950s flair, and a vinyl-only soundtrack spinning soul, jazz, rock, and experimental house, Bar Ideal (8 Kiafas) – also known as Not in Athens – is all about the art of listening. Tables spill out onto the sidewalk where patrons share stories, drink in hand. The newest addition to the ever-lively Exarchia neighborhood, it’s already been embraced by local music lovers as if it had been there forever. More than just a bar, it channels the spirit of the classic European listening room: come for the music, stay for the signature cocktails, good street energy, and soon, delicious finger food. Georgia Fekou

Maiandrou Street – Athens’ New Nightlife Corner

Behind busy Michalakopoulou Avenue, in the low-key Ilisia neighborhood, Maiandrou Street has quietly emerged as one of Athens’ most promising micro-scenes, with three venues that together create an unexpected party atmosphere. At number 5, Junior Does Wine redefines wine culture with an accessible, relaxed and unpretentious approach. A younger crowd gathers here, sampling glasses from both Old and New World vineyards, chatting on the sidewalk or leaning against the counter inside. Next door, at number 7, Quinn’s invites you into a space dominated by a large reproduction of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights that hangs behind the elegant wooden bar as a visual hint at what’s to come. The cocktail list is thoughtfully curated; from the sharply executed Dry Martini to the smoky Timorous Beasties and the heady, tropical Venus in Furs, each drink feels like a small but deliberate transgression. Finally, a few steps further, Tsimpouri at number 9 sets an intimate and effortlessly warm tone with a marble bar, friendly faces, and signature drinks such as the Ginger Pergamondo and the Sherry Mule. It’s the kind of place that is destined to become your go-to bar. Elina Dimitriadi

Still Life with Buildings

Next time you find yourself waiting at a crosswalk in Athens, take a moment to look up. That’s exactly what illustrator Yiannis Tsionis did, and from that simple act of observation came “Ktismata,” a series of prints capturing the city through its often-overlooked facades.

Rather than focus on landmarks, Tsionis turns his gaze to the unnoticed: an apartment block bathed in warm light, a washed-out pink exterior, a geometric balcony casting perfect shadows. “These are corners of the city we often pass by,” he says. “Buildings that carry memory, atmosphere, and the real, everyday identity of Athens.”

Across seven drawings, Ktismata distills quintessential elements of Athenian architecture: the symmetry of the former Hilton Hotel, the soft curves and polished details of midcentury apartment buildings, and the high-rises that have quietly shaped the city’s visual language. Pandelis Tsompanis

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The collection is available via Instagram @ktismata and at etsy.com

Improvised Greece – Travelogue Vol. 2

A car fan rigged above an engine to cool it down, a classical column reimagined as a public ashtray, a DIY washing machine made from plastic tubs on the beach in Gavdos: these aren’t art installations, they’re snapshots of everyday ingenuity, captured in “Travelogue Vol. 2: Greek Everyday Solutions to Common Problems,” the second volume of a photographic project by Papairlines (Vasso Asfi, Kostas Bisas and Loukas Angelou).

With wit and warmth, the trio documents Greece’s spontaneous, often eccentric art of problem-solving. From the side streets of Athens to camping sites on remote islands, the images reveal a form of creativity born of necessity, habit or whim. There are no props and no filters, just the raw, improvisational genius of real life.

Dozens of photographers from Greece and beyond contributed to this offbeat visual travelogue, capturing a parallel, more playful dimension of Greek reality. Pandelis Tsompanis