The Athens and Epidaurus Festival is the city’s annual arts festival and a highlight of the Greek summer calendar. With a legacy that spans more than sixty years, today it incorporates a full programme of music, theatre, dance and visual arts. Performances at the two ancient theatres of the Odeon Herodes Atticus and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus are highlights of the festival. Both are famous for their exemplary acoustics and many of the great works of classical playwrights, such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aeschylus premiered at the Epidaurus Theatre in ancient times.
Madama Butterfly at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. Photo: Stefanos/GNO
The 2024 festival will welcome live audiences with performances by world class orchestras and musicians at the iconic stage of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus beneath the Acropolis. STING returns to this year’s festival and will perform for two nights on July 5 and 6.
Audiences can also expect landmark productions by the Greek National Opera in 2024, including Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca and Giuseppe Verdi’s, La Traviata.
At the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, eight productions will be performed two days a week from early July through to late August, by ancient Greek playwrights Euripides, Aeschylus and Aristophanes. The Festival has invited international theatre director, Timofey Kulyabin to Epidaurus for the first time to direct Euripides’ Iphigenia bringing a contemporary reading of this classical Greek tragedy.
ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS
The spectacular open-air theatre of Odeon Herodes Atticus provides a magical setting at the base of the Acropolis. It has hosted legendary performances by Frank Sinatra, Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti to name a few.
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus during the Athens & Epidaurus Festival. Photo: Athens Festival/T.Daskalakis
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting Athens during the Festival, be sure to attend at least one performance at any of these ancient theatres for a truly unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience.
JUNE 2024
1, 2, 6 & 11 June 2024 | TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini – Greek National Opera – TICKETS NOT YET ON SALE
13 June 2024 | ANONHI AND THE JOHNSONS – Tickets available here
15 June 2024 | WORKS OF BEETHOVEN with Yo Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and Leonidas Kavakos – Tickets available here
17 June 2024 | MIMI PLESSAS Tribute – Tickets available here
18 June 2024 | LONDON PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA – Tickets available here
21 June 2024 | ERT NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – World Music Day – TICKETS NOT YET ON SALE
25 June 2024 | ANNE THERESE DE KEERSMAEKER -Contemporary Dance – Tickets available here
26 June 2024 | LOREENA MCKENNITT Live – Tickets available here
28 June 2024 | ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA – Beethoven’s Symphony #9 – Tickets available here
30 June 2024 | CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF EUROPE – Works by Dvorak, Mahler, Bartok & Schubert – Tickets available here
JULY 2024
4 July 2024 | GRAZER PHILHARMONICA ORCHESTRA with Alexia Mouza – Tickets available here
5 & 6 July 2024 | STING live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
8 & 9 July 2024 | DIONYSIS SAVVOPOULOS live – Tickets available here
10 July 2024 | THE PHILHARMONIC BRASS ORCHESTRA – Tickets available here
12 July 2024 | ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA – works of Tchaikovsky & Bartok – Tickets available here
14 July 2024 | TANIA TSANAKLIDOU Live – Tickets available here
16 July 2024 | JAKUB JOZEF ORLINSKI Live – Tickets available here
18 July 2024 | CHARLES LLOYD SKY QUARTET – with Maria Farantouri – Tickets available here
27, 28, 30 & 31 July 2024 | LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi – Greek National Opera – TICKETS NOT YET ON SALE
ANCIENT THEATRE OF EPIDAURUS
A twilight performance by the National Theatre of Greece during the Epidaurus Festival. Photograph: Thomas Daskalakis/NTG
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is regarded as the best-preserved ancient theatre in Greece and famous for its perfect acoustics. It was constructed in the late 4th century BC with a capacity of more than 12,000 spectators.
Why Athens Tip: Greek and English subtitles available for all performances
JULY to AUGUST 2024
PROGRAMME AT ANCIENT EPIDAURUS THEATRE
5 & 6 July 2024 | IPHIGENIA IN AULIS by Euripides – Timofey Kulyabin – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
12 & 13 July 2024 | ORESTEIA by Aeschylus – National Theatre of Greece – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
19 & 20 July 2024 | PLUTUS by Aristophanes – TICKETS NOT YET ON SALE Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
26 & 27 July 2024 | NOT HECUBA – Tiago Rodrigues & Comedie-Francaise – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
2 & 3 August 2024 | THE BACCHAE by Euripides – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
9 & 10 August 2024 | BIRDS by Aristophanes – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
23 & 24 August 2024 | THE SUPPLIANTS by Aeschylus – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
GETTING TO ANCIENT EPIDAURUS
Epidaurus theatre is located within the archaeological site of the sanctuary of Asklepios in Palea Epidaurus, in the region of Argolis and is a two hour drive from Athens. Why Athens offers private taxi’s, mini-vans and mini-bus transfers to and from the site on the evenings when performances are showing. You can find out more information about ways to get to ancient Epidaurus here.
