Carnival Parades in Athens 2026

Athens hits full festive mode during Apokries, Greece’s carnival season, when the city swaps routine for colour, music, and joyful chaos. From 1 to 22 February 2026, neighbourhoods across the capital come alive with parades, live music, street parties, dance performances, and hands-on activities that spill out into squares, markets, and main thoroughfares.

Expect traditional carnival routes winding through the historic centre and linking up with local communities hosting neighbourhood carnivals filled with folk rituals, costumes and spontaneous street events. 

Families are well catered for, too, with a packed Carnival for Kids programme bringing games, performances, workshops, and face painting to parks and squares across the city, including Zappeion, Kypseli, Goudi, and Neos Kosmos, making it easy to dip in wherever you’re based.

The celebrations reach their peak on Sunday, 22 February, with a grand carnival parade through the city centre, finishing in Kotzia Square with music, dancing, and a city-wide party atmosphere. The festivities then roll seamlessly into Clean Monday (23 February), when Athenians traditionally head outdoors for kite flying, music, and a relaxed communal feast, a time-honoured tradition. Join the city’s spectacular parade routes:

Thursday 12/02 at 11 am: Syntagma Square to Kotzia Square – includes the custom of the ‘Kordelata’ from Naxos by the “Bacchae” Cultural Society
Saturday 14/02 at 11 am: Multiple parades including Monastiraki Square with dances from all over Greece (in partnership with CID UNESCO Athens)
Sunday 15/02 at 11 am: Dionysiou Areopagitou & Botanical Square – Folklore parades and local celebrations
Thursday 19/02 10.30 am: Attiki Square & Agios Panteleimonas Square – Community parade with drummers and musicians
Saturday 21/02 at 11 am: Kypseli Square & Fokionos Negri – Drum ensemble Quilombo brings Brazilian rhythms
Sunday 22/02 at 5 pm: Syntagma to Kotzia Square – Grand Carnival Parade with marching bands, dancers, and a live radio broadcast by Lampsi 92.3 FM, ending with a huge party at Kotzia Square.

For your own convenience, we suggest checking directly with the event organiser or host venue for confirmation or with Culture is Athens.