TiACF24: Dora Stratou Traditional Dance Costumes Runway

Spread the word: The summer months are no longer the main act in Athens. May is.

This is Athens - City Festival is back for its third edition this May with free admission*. The biggest annual spring festival in the Greek capital will take place throughout May and will even be stealing a few days from June. You see, this year's programme proved to be so packed, we couldn't possibly squeeze it into just 31 days. Thoroughly designed with a sustainable mindset, the festival’s rich agenda includes more than 250 events that will take place all over Athens in more diverse areas than ever before. Click here for our selection of the festival’s events, or head over to the official website for the full programme.

This year's TiACF has a distinct folklore flavour, celebrating Greece's rich heritage by bringing it to the streets more generously than ever before. And of course, the esteemed Dora Stratou Foundation could not be absent. In what could be described as a catwalk of Greek folklore, the Lysiou pedestrian street will be filled with bright colours and intricate ornaments. In traditional costumes from all corners of the country, members of the popular Philopappou dance troupe will parade the streets, giving visitors a chance to see the Foundation's remarkable collection of ensembles rarely seen by the public. To complement this visual feast, philhellene musicologist and Grammy-winning producer Christopher King will set the tone with a carefully selected soundtrack of laments from across Greece. Consider this one of the highlights of the festival.

* Most events are free entrance and require no tickets, to the exception of some concerts that have a priced ticket, and some events that are free entrance but require pre-registration or are invitation-only. All related information to each of the festival's events can be found on the festival's website, under the page for each event.