MONDAY 29.06: Athens State Orchestra Performs Mahler’s Monumental Eighth Symphony at Odeon of Herodes Atticus
The Athens State Orchestra, led by internationally acclaimed Polish conductor Michał Nesterowicz, opens the week with a rare live performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, widely known as the “Symphony of a Thousand.” One of the composer’s most ambitious works, the symphony is celebrated for its monumental scale and uplifting spiritual vision.
Featuring an expanded orchestra, distinguished soloists and large choral forces, the performance offers audiences an uncommon opportunity to experience one of the most demanding masterpieces in the symphonic repertoire. The work concludes with the final scene from Goethe’s Faust, underscoring its themes of transcendence and human aspiration.
TUESDAY 30.06: John Legend Brings An Evening of Songs & Stories to Greece at Odeon of Herodes Atticus
John Legend will perform in Greece for the first time with his An Evening of Songs & Stories tour, presenting an intimate concert centered on music and personal storytelling.
Performing solo at the piano, the Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist will revisit some of his best-known songs, including “All of Me,” “Ordinary People” and “Love Me Now,” while sharing the experiences and moments that shaped his career. The performance strips his music back to its essentials, creating a deeply personal retrospective of his artistic journey.
WEDNESDAY 01.07: Armin Hokmi Reimagines the Legacy of the Shiraz Arts Festival at Peiraios 260
Iranian choreographer Armin Hokmi makes his Greece debut with Shiraz, a contemporary dance work inspired by the groundbreaking Shiraz Arts Festival, which brought together international music, theater and dance before it was discontinued in the late 1970s.
Performed by seven dancers, the production combines industrial rhythms with elements of Iranian musical tradition to explore memory, artistic freedom and cultural heritage. Rather than recreating the historic festival, Shiraz transforms its legacy into a contemporary meditation on collective memory and the enduring power of live performance.
©Mike Rafail
FRIDAY 02.07: Christos Theodoridis Stages Aeschylus’ The Persians at Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
Director Christos Theodoridis makes his Epidaurus debut with a new production of Aeschylus’ The Persians, the oldest surviving complete play of ancient Greek drama and a landmark work based on historical events.
Centered on the aftermath of the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis, the production emphasizes grief, collective trauma and the human cost of war. A cast of 22 actors remains on stage throughout the performance, with the chorus taking center stage to explore themes of loss that continue to resonate in the modern world.
©Michiel Devijver
SATURDAY 03.07: Milo Rau Explores Violence and Memory in Medea’s Children at Peiraios 260
Acclaimed theater director Milo Rau returns with Medea’s Children, a new production that intertwines the myth of Medea with a real-life case involving the murder of five children by their mother in Belgium.
Rather than retelling the ancient tragedy, the performance examines violence, trauma and representation through documentary theater techniques, live video and conversations with child performers. By bringing children to the forefront of the stage, Rau challenges long-standing theatrical conventions while exploring theater as a shared ritual of reflection rather than resolution.
©TEDDE PANZAVOLTA
SUNDAY 04.07: Gemma Hansson Carbone Reimagines Cassandra’s Voice at Peiraios 260
Actor and director Gemma Hansson Carbone presents The Annunciation of Cassandra, based on the work of Greek playwright Dimitris Dimitriadis, continuing her exploration of his writing.
The production reimagines Cassandra not as a doomed prophet whose warnings go unheard, but as the voice of a new world shaped by desire, renewal and transformation. Combining spoken word, movement, choreography and an immersive stage environment, the performance invites audiences into a shared theatrical space where language, the body and poetry become forces of creation.
