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, premiered at the Epidaurus Theatre in ancient times.
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Madama Butterfly at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. Photo: Stefanos/GNO
The 2024 festival will welcome live audiences with performances by international musicians at the landmark stage of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus beneath the Acropolis.
Audiences can also expect landmark productions by the Greek National Opera in 2024, including Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot and Giuseppe Verdi’s, La Traviata.
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At last year’s festival, Avant-garde stage director Philippe Quesne closed the programme at the Odeon on the 4th August with ‘The Garden of Delights’, his latest theatre production inspired by the famous painting by Dutch painter Jérôme Bosch.
At the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, eight productions were performed two days a week from July to late August, by ancient Greek playwrights Euripides, Sophocles and Aristophanes. The Festival invited German theatre director Frank Castorf to Epidaurus for the first time to direct Euripides’ Medea. The innovative director used improvisation and his highly imaginative theatrical language to create a modern Greek adaptation of this ancient 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.
The full 2024 festival programme for the ancient theatres is yet to be announced. Why Athens offers a newsletter service free of charge whereby we will inform you when the 2024 Athens and Epidaurus Festival programme is announced and also when tickets go on sale for your favourite events.
WHAT YOU MISSED AT LAST YEAR’S FESTIVAL
JULY 2023
1 July | Soundtracks by Alexandre Desplat – ERT National Symphony Orchestra – Tickets available here
3 July | Yiannis Aggelakas & the 100 Degrees – Tickets available here
4 July | Stavros Xarchakos Live with Maria Farantouri, Yiannis Kotsiras and Iro Saia – Tickets available here
5 July | Anouar Brahem Quartet – Jazz Music – Tickets available here
8 July | José James Live – Tickets available here
10 July | James Live – with Classical Orchestra and Gospel Choir – Tickets available here
11 July | Herbie Hancock Live – Tickets available here
12 July | Melody Gardot Live – Tickets available here
15 July | Works by Tchaikovsky and Grieg – Athens State Orchestra – Tickets available here
16 July | Kraftwerk Live – Tickets available here
17 July | Gilbert Gil & Family Live – Tickets available here
26, 27, 29 & 30 July | Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi – Greek National Opera – Tickets available here
4 August | Philippe Quesne – The Garden of Delights – Theatre – Tickets available here
28 & 30 August | Norma by Vincenzo Bellini – Tickets available here
SEPTEMBER 2023
(events in September and October are independently run from the Festival)
28 & 30 August | Norma by Vincenzo Bellini – Tickets available here
31 August | Frogs by Aristophanes – Tickets available here
2 September | Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles – Tickets available here
3 September | Stavros Xarchakos Live at the Acropolis (Rebetiko) – Tickets available here
5 September | Hatzinasios & Korkolis duelling pianos – Tickets available here
6 September | Anna Vissi Live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
7 September | Maria Farandouris and Zülfü Livaneli – Tickets available here
8 September | The Bacchae by Euripides – Tickets available here
9 September | Woody Allen Live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
10 September | The Trojan Women by Euripides – Tickets available here
11 September | Bill Burr live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
12 September | Melisses live in concert – Tickets available here
13 September | Antonis Remos & Michael Bolton – Tickets available here
14 September | Gregorian live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
16 September | Maria Callas Opera Gala – Tickets available here
19 September | Evanthia Remboutsika live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
20 September | Electra by Sophocles – Tickets available here
21 September | Wardruna live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
22 September | Fuengo – Antonio Gades Flamenco Dance Troupe – Tickets available here
23 September | Opera de Paris tribute to Rudolf Nureyev – Tickets available here
24 September | Amadeus Mozart Requiem – Tickets available here
25 September | IL VOLO Live – Tickets available here
26 September | Christos Leontis Live – Tickets available here
27 September | Oedipus Rex by Sophocles – Tickets available here
28 September | Minos Matsas Live – Tickets available here
29 September | Classic Rock at the Odeon – Tickets available here
30 September | Koyaanisqatsi – Philip Glass Ensemble – Tickets available here
OCTOBER 2023
1 October | With Byzantine Footsteps – Concert – Tickets available here
2 October | Don Quixote by the Odesa National Opera – Tickets available here
4 October | Grigoris Bithikotsis tribute by George Dalaras – Tickets available here
5 October | Elias Andriopoulos at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
6 October | Anna Vissi Live at the Acropolis – Tickets available here
9 October | Yiannis Markopoulos Tribute concert – Tickets available here
10 October | Marios Frangoulis concert – Tickets available here
11 October | Stamatis Spanoudakis concert – Tickets available here
12 October | Stavros Xarchakos Live at the Acropolis (Rebetiko) – Tickets available here
13 October | Stamatis Kraounakis concert – Tickets available here
15 October | Kosta Hatzis concert – Tickets available here
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 2023
PROGRAMME AT ANCIENT EPIDAURUS THEATRE
7 & 8 July 2023 | Hippolytus by Euripides – National Theatre of Greece – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
14 & 15 July 2023 | Wasps by Aristophanes – National Theatre of Greece – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
21 & 22 July 2023 | Medea by Euripides – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
28 & 29 July 2023 | Frogs by Aristophanes – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
4 & 5 August 2023 | Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
11 & 12 August 2023 | Hecuba by Euripides – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
18 & 19 August 2023 | The Trojan Women by Euripides – State Theatre of Northern Greece – Tickets available here Transport Option: Private transfer to the Theatre
25 & 26 August 2023 | Oedipus Rex by Sophocles – 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.
