Athens’ Athinas Street will close to vehicles for 24 hours next weekend, giving pedestrians, cyclists and visitors the chance to experience one of the city’s central roads through a program of free activities, entertainment and sports.
The initiative, “Athinas Without Cars,” organized by the City of Athens through Development Athens, will run from 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
The event is being held as part of the European Mobility Week and ahead of World Car-Free Day on September 22, promoting reduced dependence on cars, more sustainable transportation options and greater use of public space.
A 24-hour transformation
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas said the initiative has now become an institution for the city.
“‘Athinas Without Cars’ has become an institution for the city,” Doukas said. “From Saturday, September 19 at 8 p.m. until Sunday, September 20 at 8 p.m., it will be handed over exclusively to pedestrians.”
He said the road would offer more space for walking, cycling, playing, meeting and dancing, with free activities for people of all ages.
For the first 30 minutes, from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, residents and visitors will be able to walk freely along Athinas Street, without an organized activity or vehicles, from Evripidou Street toward Monastiraki as daylight fades and the Acropolis appears in the background.
The Athens Disco outdoor party will then run from 8 to 11 p.m.
From 11:30 p.m., the Midnight Express will turn the street into an outdoor movie theater, with three consecutive overnight screenings running until 5:30 a.m.
Sunday filled with activities
Sunday’s program will begin in the morning and feature activities along the car-free street, including cycling, Paralympic sports, skateboarding, yoga, fitness, children’s theater, street art, creative workshops, environmental and educational activities, music and games.
The program will conclude with the live concert “Papazo Live Balcony” from 6 to 8 p.m., featuring multiple guests.
Among the activities scheduled for Sunday are:
- Yoga and fitness: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., including yoga from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and fitness from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- “Sports Beyond Limits,” by Panathinaikos A.C.: Participants can try Paralympic sports, including adapted table tennis and sitting volleyball from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by para-badminton, wheelchair fencing and boccia from 1 to 5 p.m.
- Children’s cycling tracks: A 300-square-meter traffic-code track for children ages 4 to 11 and a balance-bike track for children ages 2 to 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Bike Art and Green Energy: Participants can create artwork by pedaling and use a station that generates green energy to charge mobile phones, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- “The City Plays!”: An educational theater board game focused on accessibility, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Street art, recycling and crafts: Activities including graffiti stencil painting, creative recycling and miniature bicycle construction, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- “Street Mission: Recycling Agents”: A workshop-game organized by the City of Athens’ Directorate of Cleaning and Recycling, highlighting the value of recycling and how it can become part of everyday life, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- “Get Skated & Educated”: Skateboarding lessons, safety techniques, information about the sport’s culture and free skating on the roadway, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Children’s theater and creative activities: Interactive street performances, juggling workshops, magic shows, face painting and glitter activities using hypoallergenic colors and eco-friendly glitter, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The initiative is intended to encourage residents to rethink how they move around Athens and how public space can be made more accessible, safe and welcoming, while highlighting alternatives to car travel and creating more space for people
