AEF2025: Hippolytus

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.

Euripides’ Hippolytus, first staged by Katerina Evangelatos in 2023 for the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, returns to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus for two performances following a successful tour. Evangelatos—now in her sixth year as artistic director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival—delivers a bold, contemporary take on the classic tragedy. In this version, the goddess Aphrodite holds a camera, filming the story as she orchestrates Hippolytus’ downfall, blurring the line between myth and modernity. Backed by a fearless cast and a visionary creative team, this striking revival brings new resonance to one of Euripides’ most powerful plays.