The Athens and Epidaurus Festival is held annually from May until mid-August and is one of the oldest performing arts festivals of Europe. The beauty of the ancient venues attract large crowds and both local and international visitors.

The programme hosted at the Herod Atticus Theatre caters to all tastes, whereas the ancient Greek performances at the Epidaurus theatre are spectacular.

This year’s programme has been released. Below are events taking place at the Herod Atticus Theatre (Irodion) at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.

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2019 programme

5, 7, 9, 11 June Greek National Opera – Carlus Padrissa – La Fura dels Baus – Conductor Georgios Balatsinos – Norma by Vincenzo Bellini

14 June Eleni Karaindrou concert – Tous des oiseaux

15 June Jethro Tull concert – 50 years of Jethro Tull

17 June Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg – Solist Yuja Wang – Conductor Gustavo Gimeno Works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Shostakovich, Stravinsky

19 June George Dalaras – İzmir State Symphony Orchestra – Conductor Hakan Sensoy

21 June ERT National Symphony Orchestra – Conductor Anastasios Symeonidis – Fête de la Musique – Works by Skalkottas, Mendelssohn and Prokofiev

22 June Wiener Symphoniker – Conductor & Solist Leonidas KavakosWorks by Mendelssohn, Mozart, Beethoven 24 June Athens State Orchestra – A Tribute to Steven SpielbergLive music with simultaneous screening of movie clips and photos 26 June Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra – Conductor Zoi Tsokanou – Solist Murray Perahia – Works by Mitropoulos, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov

27 June Loreena McKennitt concert The elf of Celtic sound

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28 June Yannis Markopoulos concert

30 June Yo-Yo Ma – Johann Sebastian Bach – The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites

3 July Dead Can Dance concert – Dionysus

6 & 7 July Armonia – Friends of Music Orchestra – Soprano Myrto Papatanasiu – Director & Conductor George Petrou Alcina by Händel

9 July Ravenna Festival – Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra – Conductor Riccardo Muti – The Roads of Friendship

10 July Maria Farantouri – ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra – Conductor Anastasios Symeonidis – Shall We Go to the Movies?Songs and music from the world and Greek cinema

11 July – Melodia 99.2 – The History of Greek Song – Mixtape Summer ’19: Rembetika

13 July Tindersticks concert

16 July – Athens State Orchestra – Solist Maxim Vengerov – Conductor Stefanos Tsialis

27, 28, 30, 31 July Greek National Opera – Director Konstantinos Rigos – Conductor Loukas KarytinosLa Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi

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3 August China National Symphony Orchestra – Salzburg Kinderchor – Enjott Schneider – Otto Sauter – Ten of the Best Ceremony of Harmony – Melody of Worldwide Civilisation

The 2019 Odeon programme also includes a remarkable, not-to-be-missed dance performance by arguably the greatest living choreographer in the world, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and her Rosas group, on 2 July.

Access Entrance from the Dionysiou Areopagitou pedestrian street (Akropoli metro station). Full accessibility for persons with disabilities (for more information please visit the Festival’s official website greekfestival.gr).For information on all Athens & Epidaurus Festival performances please visit greekfestival.gr