Cultural Events
Athens can be placed among the greatest entertainment centres in the world. During the summer nights, outdoor concerts with rock, jazz, classical, Byzantine and traditional music, ballet and drama performances take place. Most of the cultural events are held under the auspices of the Greek National Tourist Organisation and the Ministry of Culture.
The Athens Festival includes a series of cultural events held at the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, at the foot of the Acropolis, every summer from June to the end of September. The Festival was inaugurated in 1955. It stages ancient and Modern Greek plays, concerts, ballets and modern dance performances. Among the thousands of famous artists who have appeared at the Athens festival are Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti and Dimitris Mitropoulos along with the best orchestras in the world. You will discover it is quite an unforgettable experience to sit in a marble theatre dating back to Roman times, under a starlit sky and listen to a Symphony composed by one of the great classical Masters. Performances are given almost daily.
A wide variety of contemporary performances are staged in the modern open-air theatre located at the top of Lycabettus Hill, every summer from June to the end of September.
Performances of modern and ancient Greek plays, international rock and jazz bands and concerts by famous popular Greek artists are given here almost every night. The beauty of the hill covered with pine trees, combined with that of cool Athenian summer nights, guarantee many memorable evenings.
A large variety of musical performances and cultural events take place in the Athens Concert Hall every year.
If you like the opera, you may want to attend one of the performances given by the company of the Greek National Opera. All the internationally acclaimed Greek composers, musicians and performers have appeared in this theatre. It is the theatre where Maria Callas' magical voice was first heard. Performances of many of the lyric theatre's great classical works are given here every year. The National Ballet Company also performs in this theatre.
The Dora Stratou Society
The "Dora Stratou Society" was founded in 1953 by Mrs Dora Stratou, who achieved to combine State and private support to give birth to "a living museum for Greek dance".
By buying old costumes from the villages, she managed to create the largest collection of its kind. Most of these costumes cannot be found to buy, nor copies can be made since the craftsmen and the fabrics do not exist any more. The main troupe of the Dora Stratou Company is composed of 50 dancers. The group has also about 15 permanent folk musicians and 2 singers. While most folk dance troupes around the world have learned their dances by dance masters or choreographers, the Dora Stratou troupe has built up its repertoire by inviting groups of villagers from all over Greece to perform on stage and dance with the troupe's dancers in order to entertain an authentic performance. You can watch this exceptional show every evening from May to September, on the Hill of Philopappou, very close to the Acropolis.
The open-air cinemas are yet another attraction offered in this country. One of the delights of Athenian evenings is to sit in a garden of trees and flowers, under a starry sky and enjoy an outdoor movie. Films are not dubbed in Greece. They are shown with Greek subtitles.