From Thursday, February 16 and for 12 days, the municipality of Athens invites young and old to a colorful carnival spree in the Center and neighborhoods of Athens. A total of 67 events with free participation await young and old to celebrate Halloween in 55 different places, in every corner of the city.

The rich program of Carnival events, which will end on February 27 with the great celebration of Clean Monday on The Hill of Philopappos, was curated by the cultural institutions of the municipality of Athens, the Organization of Culture, Sports & Youth and Technopolis, with the cooperation of the radio station of Athens 9.84 and This is Athens.

Concerts, traditional events and parties

The fun ” maypole that unfolds throughout Athens, bringing the spirit of Carnival to every neighborhood, compose concerts, musical routes, traditional events, carnival children’s celebrations, as well as frantic parties and actions for the whole family in the cultural spaces of the municipality.

“This year we are making appointments in the neighborhoods, streets and squares of the city, so that we can all enjoy together-as one big company – the Athens of Carnival. The municipality of Athens organizes a big carnival celebration with many and special events that are organized with special care by the institutions of the municipality of Athens. We call on all Athenians to take to the streets and enjoy with their children the rich festive events that will take place for 12 days in some of the most beautiful parts of Athens,” Athens Mayor Costas Bakoyannis said in a statement.

Tsiknopempti in Athens

The carnival events begin on Tsiknopempti (February 16th), in a celebration that combines tradition with music and feasting. The audience will meet the bohemian songwriter Pantelis Ampazis and the band “Uppiti Zambetiki” in Varvakeio, will have fun with the Greek music workshop of the municipality of Athens in Monastiraki Square, while Carnival traditional and musical events will fill music and dances in the surrounding streets.

Children’s smiles across the city

Carnival means bright children’s smiles! Children are the Kings of Carnival and this year the municipality of Athens invites them to events and parties in the streets, squares and neighborhoods for play and endless fun. The Art Gallery, The Arts Center, the Museum of Folk Art and tradition “Angeliki Hatzimichali”, the Digital Museum of Academy of Plato, the Centers of Creative Learning, as well as the Technopolis of the municipality of Athens, welcome our little friends to learn through educational programs, workshops, actions and musical-theatrical performances the tradition of Carnival, combining knowledge with creative expression and entertainment.

Children who will visit the city of Athens Gallery will have the opportunity to discover among its works the figure of Harlequin, participating in the educational action for the whole family and will create their own masks in the art workshop, on the occasion of the masks of the famous artist Pablo Picasso.

At the Arts Centre they will have the opportunity to take part in carnival workshops, inspired by another era, but also by the lyrics of Yiannis Ritsos and the music of Loukianos Kekiedonis.

In the Museum of Folk Art and tradition “Angeliki Hatzimichali” our little friends will be initiated into carnival customs and play traditional games, while in the Digital Museum of Academy of Plato they will paint their own Cubist portrait.

The Larissa Station children’s Library invites children to participate in two unique educational programs. In the first, at a ghost festival, they will discover the most famous literary ghosts and rewrite their history. In the second, they will get to know together with their parents the ways that Halloween was advertised in old Athens through the material of the Athenian Press of the Central Library, newspapers and magazines and will compare the celebrations of then and now.

The Creative Learning Centers of the municipality of Athens welcome the small carnival to have fun and express themselves, participating in a multitude of Carnival Activities. In addition to art workshops, there will be workshops of music – kinetic expression from the educational program Learn – Play-sing, as well as Carnival theatrical events and music-theatrical performances by the groups participating in the programs of the Centers for Creative Learning.

On Halloween this year, children are partying in the city’s squares and neighborhoods. Lots of music, dancing, stilts, favorite childhood heroes, face painting, carnival creative activities, animators, traditional maypole, magic show and dance competition, will give joy to the little masqueraders. The events will take place on Saturday, February 18 from 11:00 to 14:00 at St. Eleftherios and St. Paul squares and on Sunday, February 26 at St. Thomas Square.

The traditional appointment of the small carnival in the biggest children’s carnival celebration in Zappeion is given on Sunday, February 19 from 11: 00 to 14: 30. The Philharmonic Orchestra of the municipality of Athens with carnival mood welcomes the children, who will Party with music, dance, jugglers, stilts, mascots, animateur, balloon constructions, face painting, interactive theatrical games and magic tricks, while competitions with many surprises will take place.

Traditional customs in the neighborhoods and the city center

Halloween is a genuine Greek holiday with roots from antiquity. The municipality of Athens highlights the element of tradition and carnival customs by bringing them to every neighborhood of the city. Throughout the carnival, cultural associations will parade through the streets of Athens to present traditional dances and revive local carnival customs, integrating young and old into the spirit of Carnival.

Concerts and parties

From 16-27 February the municipality of Athens lives in the rhythm of Carnival

Music will flood the city from end to end throughout Halloween. The musical ensembles of the municipality of Athens with a festive mood will give their own rhythm to this year’s Carnival. The Philharmonic Orchestra will take walks in the neighborhoods of the city, BigBand will give a jazz tempo to the Carnival celebrations and the Greek music workshop with its melodies will enhance the carnival celebration.

Percussion groups on carnival routes will lure us into Latin and Brazilian rhythms, while at Olympia, Municipal Musical Theatre “Maria Callas” we will experience a carnival atmospheric night of genuine Argentine Tango.

All-day party in Technopolis for young and old

On Saturday, February 25, young and Old give an appointment in Technopolis where from the morning until the early hours, a big carnival celebration will be set up for everyone.

From 11:00, the radio station of Athens 9.84 goes down in its van to the central courtyard and broadcasts live, with music and interviews, while until 17: 00, the children have their honor, enjoying imaginative and fun activities: art workshops for young masqueraders and small artists, treasure hunt, face-painting and bubble-parade in the spaces of Technopolis.

At the same time, favorite artists and musical groups make appointments in the central courtyard, from early noon until evening, to rouse the audience with their concerts.

The unique Locomondo open the concert program (13:00) and give the pulse with a strong Live program, while the talented Spyros Grammenos with the characteristic prose and the inexhaustible humor will lure us into musical paths, full of surprises (17: 00). The explosive Polkar come with a lot of mood to stage a feast that promises plenty of fun and endless dancing (19:00), while the master of fun, performer Tony Sfinos, invites us to the ultimate Halloween party (21:00)!

Immediately after, the entertainment is transferred to The Machine Shop, where the radio station Best 92.6, in cooperation with this is Athens of the city of Athens, brings its own carnival to Technopolis for one and only night.

From 22.00 to 02.00, a series of renowned Djs and radio producers “masquerade” their sound and invite us to play our favorite hero, with or without a carnival costume.

Sunday of Carnival at the Municipal Market of Kypseli

On Carnival Sunday, February 26th, from 18:00 in the afternoon until 23: 00 in the evening, top collectors and Djs of the city invite us to the Municipal Market of Kypseli to have fun with authentic disco music, on the initiative of This is Athens. The DisCos open and fill the market with the best musical moments of the legendary club of the early ‘ 70s.

Clean Monday at Philopappou Hill

The big carnival celebration in the city culminates on Clean Monday, February 27th, traditionally on The Hill of Philopappos. We will fly high the kite and celebrate the Koulouma in an authentic folk feast with the beloved singer Gogo tsampa.

From 22.00 to 02.00, a series of renowned Djs and radio producers “masquerade” their sound and invite us to play our favorite hero, with or without a carnival costume.

Sunday of Carnival at the Municipal Market of Kypseli

On Carnival Sunday, February 26th, from 18:00 in the afternoon until 23: 00 in the evening, top collectors and Djs of the city invite us to the Municipal Market of Kypseli to have fun with authentic disco music, on the initiative of This is Athens. The DisCos open and fill the market with the best musical moments of the legendary club of the early ‘ 70s.

Clean Monday at Philopappou Hill

The big carnival celebration in the city culminates on Clean Monday, February 27th, traditionally on The Hill of Philopappos. We will fly high the kite and celebrate the Koulouma in an authentic folk feast with the beloved singer Gogo tsampa.