AEF2026: The Persians

For theatre lovers, summer weekends in Greece are tied to travelling from Athens to the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus for their annual pilgrimage into the heart of Greece’s theatrical heritage. Set amidst the serene landscapes of the Argolid, Epidaurus offers you the chance to sit in an extraordinary and deeply moving space and watch performances that, although rooted to the ancient monument, speak directly to the present moment.

Last year, the Athens-Epidaurus Festival celebrated its 70th edition, a milestone that attests to its enduring place in European cultural life. This year, celebrated director Michael Marmarinos assumes the Festival’s three-year artistic directorship, launching what he describes as an exciting three-year programme. Each edition will be a complete experience on its own, yet together they form a broader vision. He has called it a journey through time, creativity, and the transformative power of performance.

For now, only the programme for the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus has been unveiled, offering a mix of classics, daring reinterpretations, and contemporary works that bring together Greek and international voices. Additional events and artistic actions will be revealed in time, promising further discoveries and delights. While this is the Epidaurus leg of the festival, its spirit extends far beyond, with a lively programme (ΤΒΑ) in Athens that celebrates theatre, music, dance, and creativity.
Check out what you can watch in the ancient amphitheatre:

On a night steeped in foreboding, twenty-five people await news of an inevitable catastrophe. When confirmation arrives of the crushing defeat at the Battle of Salamis, they are suspended between overwhelming grief and a long lament for the dead and the past that will not return.

Written in 472 BC, Aeschylus’ The Persians is the oldest surviving complete work of ancient Greek drama and a landmark in theatre history. Eschewing myth, Aeschylus, himself a veteran of Salamis, stages a recent historical event, transforming lived experience into what many consider the first example of “documentary theatre”.

In his debut at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, director Christos Theodoridis approaches this profoundly anti-war tragedy through a contemporary lens. Twenty-five actors remain on stage throughout, forming a Chorus-protagonist that uses language, movement and music to embody collective trauma. For today’s audiences, The Persians resonates as a contemporary-staged meditation on loss, war and the human cost of hubris.