Newsletter February 2023

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We'll let you in on a secret. There's no such thing as a dull date with Athens. While February might seem dim in other parts of the world, in Athens it is boisterous and filling. This year even more so, since the mobile celebrations of Apokries (our version of carnival) will shake our streets during the following weeks. Which means we get to chase our colourful kites during Clean Monday picnics (we hear Kypseli is ideal) as well as give our dancing shoes a run for their money during the carnival frolic. Adrenaline buffs can take on the surrounding mountains, while culture aficionados can engage in centuries-old mysteries in a pan-European cultural festival that’s kicking off in the nearby city of Elefsina.

Most of all however, this February is all about food (again); meat extravaganzas give way to sublime fasting feasts, barreled wine oozes into glasses around every taverna, while exceptional local labels are popped open at stylish wine bars. One can almost see Dionysus smirking round every corner.

Although Athens carnival isn’t known for grand parades and floats, you will find unique apokries festivities that don’t take place elsewhere, with tons of costume parties and free events for the whole family.
Join the three-week festival

If Pangrati is like your preppy cousin working in fintech who likes pairing sushi with cocktails, then Kypseli is more like their younger sibling who doesn’t really like etiquette and sophistication, and would rather pick up a beer from the periptero before skating into the sunset.
Discover Kypseli

Be it in downtown alleys, rooftops with Acropolis views or former industrial streets turned contemporary art hubs, Athens is full of cool and cosy wine bars where you can taste the best wines that Greece has to offer.
Sip back and relax

• Discover where, how and why Greeks love to eat (and talk) by going on a food and culture tour around Athens' downtown neighbourhoods;
• Take on the wild terrain of Mount Parnitha with an invigorating mountain bike ride and top it off with a hearty meal at the mountain's Bafi refuge;
• Keep things stylish and check into the classiest cafés, restaurants, art hubs and boutique shops in town with our guide to Athens for design lovers.

Maria João Pires at the Athens Concert Hall | 18 February
The acclaimed pianist returns to the Megaron to perform a total of three works by Ludwig van Beethoven, including the Third Piano Concerto. Your Saturday night out sorted.
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3 Rooms at the Greek National Opera | 15-19 February
Three mesmerising performances that speak different movement languages come together in this international co-production.
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Apokries at Technopolis | 25 February
Check into the open-air cultural hub of Gazi for a very special all-day party that includes kids games, bubble parades, food courts, live music performances, and DJ sets, all with free entrance.
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Kerala Dust at Gagarin205 | 25 February
Catch the British trio as they make their Athens debut and bring their sexy, cunning, slowburn blues-meets-electronic sound to town.
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Carnival Parades in Athens | 18-26 February
From satiric dances and traditional rituals from all over Greece, to marching bands and Rio-themed fiestas, there's a great array of joyous processions for you to take part in this Apokries season.
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Nouveau Réalisme at Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation | Until April 9
New Realism, the movement that flourished between Dada and Pop Art, is the focus of the museum's first major temporary international exhibition.
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European Capital of Culture: Eleusis 2023 | Throughout 2023
The annual initiative that aims to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures is co-hosted by the nearby city of Elefsina. The festival, which is to last throughout the course of the year, kicks off with a much-anticipated two-day opening ceremony and boasts a brilliant cultural agenda with more than 460 events.
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