The Colonus Festival of the Municipality of Athens returns in September to the historic neighbourhood of Athens, on the green hill of Hippius Colonus. The meeting point is the Theatre of Colonus, which from 8 to 28 September 2023 will host a rich programme of events with special quality theatre performances and concerts with free admission, curated by the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens.

Following the success of the summer programme “All of Athens is one stage“, implemented for the second consecutive year by the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens, in the framework of Culture is Athens, spreading entertainment and fun from one end of the city to the other, The Municipality of Athens makes an autumn appointment with the public and artists at the Theatre of Colonus and the Gravas Theatre, continuing to offer culture, entertainment and quality of life in the neighbourhoods of Athens.

Medea opens the curtain for the Colonus Festival, on Friday 8 September

The Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis said: “The Colonus Festival of the Municipality of Athens, the cultural and entertainment festival that the Athenian public has embraced and established, this year stands out for its quality and diversity and once again becomes a cultural pole for all of Athens, offering 21 excellent performances, with free admission. We invite you to enjoy cool evenings, with favourite artists, theatre and music from all genres, in one of the most emblematic theatres of Athens. At the same time, the beloved theatre of Grava is complementary, with a special ten-day programme of events. In September we return to the Athens of Art and Culture. Thanks to the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens team for organizing this year’s festival with creativity and inspiration. So we are making a rendezvous in Kolonos and Grava. We are waiting for you”.

The Glass Menagerie

The President of the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens, Niki Arabatzi, said: ‘The beloved cultural institution of Athens, the Colonus Festival, returns in September to the historic hill of Hippius Colonus to offer autumnal coolness, inviting residents and visitors of our city to enjoy high quality performances by beloved theatre and music artists, who will give us unforgettable atmospheric evenings. At the same time, at the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens we continue to bring culture to the neighbourhoods and so for ten days the Gravas Theatre will host unique performances and musical tributes for young and old alike. So we are waiting for you to welcome autumn together and have fun through a great celebration of culture and 29 parallel events with free admission in both theatres of our city”.

Choir of the Municipality of Athens

This year the Colonus Festival is the ultimate proposition for both theatre and music lovers, with a diverse programme of high quality theatre and music performances by renowned artists. The audience will enjoy the great theatrical productions of the summer, as well as concerts with folk, rebetiko and contemporary Greek repertoire.

Euripides’ Alcestis

The festival opens its curtains on Friday 8 September with the theatrical performance “Medea” by Euripides with Maria Kitsou and Fani Mouratidis in the leading roles. Τhe Roumeli Municipal and Regional Theatre arrives at the Colonus Theater with the hilarious comedy “Hair Crows” by Nikolaos Laskaris with Nikos Orfanos, etc., while Argyris Angelou and Ioanna Pilihou welcome us with the thriller “The Collector” by John Fowles. The stage of the theatre will host Sophocles‘ “Oedipus Rex” with Yannis Stankoglou and Marilita Lampropoulou, as well as Sophocles’ “Electra” with Lena Papaligoura in the eponymous role and Elisavet Mutafi, Ioannis Papazisis, etc. “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams with Katia Dandoulakis in the iconic role of Amanda and Ioanna Pappa, Konstantinos Bibis, Renos Rotas, but also the hilarious comedy “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare, directed by George Kimoulis, who holds the leading role along with Sofia Vogiatzaki, Anna Monogiou, Lili Tsesmatzoglou, etc. are also stopping by the Colonus Theatre. The theatrical performances of the Festival conclude with Elena Mavridou directing Euripides’ “Alcestis” with Dimitris Lalos as co-star and the musical theatre performance – tribute to Tasos Livaditis, where Alexandra Paleologou and a group of exceptional actors meet Gerasimos Andreatos.

Sophocles’ Electra

The Colonus Festival is the established autumn meeting of the public with beloved artists of the Greek music scene and the Musical Ensembles of the Municipality of Athens. Manolis Mitsias, Peggy Zina, Giota Nega, Demos Anastasiadis, Christos Papadopoulos, Giorgos Sarris and Gerasimos Andreatos will take to the stage of Colonus Theatre to thrill the audience with their interpretive talent and stir them up with their hits and songs by top composers and creators. This year’s event will feature unique musical tributes to great Greek composers and artists, to Mikis Theodorakis with the Independent Folk Orchestra “Mikis Theodorakis” and Kostas Makedonas, Panagiotis Petrakis and Angelos Theodorakis, to Yannis Markopoulos with the Athens Municipality Choir and to Stratos Dionysiou with the Angelos, Stelios and Diamantis Dionysiou, as well as a music and dance tribute to Greek tango with the Municipal Athens Choir and Mandolinata of Exarchia – Neapolis “Dionysios Lavrantas”, the Municipal Athenian Estudiantina and Anna Matsouka, Babis Tsertos, Konstantinos Gemos, Christos Amvrazis and Katerina Melitis, under the musical direction of Apollo Kouskoumvekakis. Finally, the Musical Ensembles of the Municipality of Athens will give their own “resounding” presence at the Festival with excellent concerts, where they will collaborate with renowned artists and musicians, such as the Kitrina Podilata Band, Betty Harlaftis, Spyros Kleissas, Thanos Olympios, Alexandros Affolter, Antonis Mitzelos, Yannis Belonis and Anastasios Simeonidis.

Gerasimos Andreatos

Alongside the events of the Colonus Festival, as part of the effort of the Municipality of Athens through the Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens, to bring culture to the neighborhoods and every corner of the city, enhancing the daily contact of the residents with the arts and their entertainment, theatrical performances, concerts and musical tributes with renowned artists will take place from 13 to 26 September at the theater of Gravas.

Tango Greco

Information:

Performances starting at: 20:30 

Performances for kids starting at: 20:00

Entrance to the events of the Colonus Festival is free and only with admission tickets. Stay tuned for the start of the admission ticket sale. All parallel events at the Gravas Theatre are free of charge.

** Programme may be subject to change

The Colonus and Gravas theatres are accessible to people with disabilities.

Theatre of Colonis

Ioanninon & Kapaneos, Colonus

Theatre of Gravas

Taygetou 60, Grava

Additional Information: www.opanda.gr