AEF2025: The Stranglers

The Athens Epidaurus Festival celebrates its 70th edition in 2025, with 95 days of artistic brilliance featuring over 3,000 artists from 14 countries. From iconic venues in Athens like the Herodeion, Pireos 260, and the revived City of Athens Lycabettus Theatre, to the grand finale in Epidaurus, the festival brings the world’s top performances to Greece’s stages.

This year’s programme includes world premieres, new commissions, and exciting artistic strands such as Contemporary Ancients, which reimagines Greek tragedy, and Fierce Women in Performance, exploring gender and power. The GRAPE – Greek Agora of Performance platform highlights emerging Greek talent, while the Subset Festival brings experimental sounds to the stage. Cycles Roots revisits folk traditions with a fresh twist.

Check out our curated picks from this year's programme here.

Greek fans have held a special place in their hearts for The Stranglers since that legendary night at the Panathenaic Stadium in 1985—and the love affair has only deepened over the years. Still snarling after all this time, The Stranglers return to Athens for a one-night-only performance at the iconic Herodeion beneath the Acropolis.

With nearly five decades of punk-infused grit and elegance under their belt, this is the band that gave us the unforgettable Golden Brown. You might have been there from the early days, when they shared stages with the Ramones and Patti Smith, or maybe you're just now discovering their sound. Either way, this show is not to be missed.