More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the two-day celebration, one of Australia’s largest and longest-running cultural street festivals.
The 2026 program features 500+ performers, three major stages, over 100 stalls and more than 90 hours of live entertainment, showcasing Greek culture, language, music, dance and food.
International headline performances will see acclaimed Greek singer Ioulia Karapataki take the stage on Saturday night, followed by Konstantina Touni on Sunday evening.
Across the weekend, traditional and contemporary dance, Pontian, Cretan and island music, folk ensembles and modern bands will fill Lonsdale Street, alongside roaming performers and large-scale street activations.
Speaking to SBS Greek, festival organiser and board member of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, Jim Bossinakis, describes the Antipodes Festival as far more than a Greek-only event.
“It’s not only for the Greeks, it’s for the wider community,” he says. “A festival like this shows the breadth of Greek culture, the music, the costumes and the different dances. It’s also an important message from an established community to emerging multicultural communities in Australia.”
Melbourne’s Antipodes Festival / SBS Greek: Panos Apostolou
Greek food remains a central feature, with the Flavours of Greece stage hosting cooking demonstrations by well-known chefs including George Calombaris and Kathy Tsaples. A crowd favourite also returns with Zorba ’Til You Drop, where the last dancer standing wins a trip to Greece.
Mr Bossinakis says a major focus in recent years has been engaging younger generations — both behind the scenes and on stage.
“In the last five years we’ve consciously shifted the festival from being run mainly by first generations to involving a lot of our youth,” he explains. “You see it in the performers, the organisers and the headline artists.”
Looking ahead, he hopes the festival will continue to grow creatively, with ideas ranging from art exhibitions and cross-cultural collaborations to stronger health and education initiatives.
Jim Bossinakis / Andy McMaster / Greek Community of Melbourne
The Antipodes Festival 2026 once again transforms Lonsdale Street into an open, shared celebration of Greek culture and multicultural Australia. On Saturday, SBS will be on site with a special stall, welcoming listeners and festival-goers at the heart of Melbourne’s great Greek street party.
2026 Antipodes Festival Full Program
SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2026
BANK OF SYDNEY MAIN STAGE
13:00 Sophia Ventouris School of Greek Dance (Sydney)
13:15 Chemist Warehouse Competition
13:30 Zorba ’Til You Drop
14:00 Hellenic School of Dance, Culture, Music & Arts (Melbourne & Sydney)
14:30 Flambouro Philanthropic Society of SA
14:55 GCM Greek School Dance Group
15:15 Hellenic Dancers – Hobart
15:50 Canberra Hellenic Dancers
16:15 Pontian Association of Melbourne «Παναγία Σουμελά»
16:55 O Periklis
18:00 Dance with ALKI
18:20 Florina Aristotelis Dance Group
18:50 Greek Lyceum of SA
19:15 Pontiaki Estia (Seniors)
20:05 Greek Orthodox Community of SA Dance Academy
20:25 GCM Dance Group
Ioulia Karapataki – Live
AA HOLDINGS STAGE
12:15 O Periklis (Intermediates)
12:30 Zorba ’Til You Drop
13:15 Macedonian Halkina Brass Band
14:15 Mavrothalassites Youth Ensemble
15:15 Kaliopi Stavropoulos
16:15 Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne
16:50 Kaliroy – K Studios
17:35 Epidexia
18:30 Demotika Δημοτική & Λαϊκή Παρέα
19:15 St Gerry’s Competition
20:00 Opa Opa
20:45 Cypriot Style Entertainment
21:45 Nico Entertainment
#LOVELONSDALE STAGE
11:00 Cooking Demonstration – Nicolette Stathopoulos
11:45 Oakleigh Grammar – Μεσαία & Ανώτερη Ομάδα Χορού
12:05 Cooking Demonstration – Stalactites
12:50 DanceIt Fitness
13:10 Cooking Demonstration – Hellenic Wines x Taverna
13:10 Vanilla Competition
14:20 Cooking Demonstration – George Calombaris
15:15 Hellenic School of Dance, Culture, Music & Arts (Έφηβοι)
15:45 Smoking Figs
16:45 Gales Back
18:00 NUGAS Dance Group
18:30 Αντώνης Πιτσόκος, Αναστάσης Καραμίντζας & Harrison Giavris
19:15 Halkinades
20:30 Demotika
21:30 Nikos Pontikakis, Giannis Spinthakis & Haralambos Vayonakis
SUNDAY 1 MARCH 2026
BANK OF SYDNEY MAIN STAGE
11:00 Rythmos DJ Set
11:40 Kalymnian Dance Group
13:30 Alphington Grammar Greek Band
14:15 Pancretan Association (Pre-Seniors)
14:30 Chemist Warehouse Competition
15:15 Chora Dance Academy
15:45 Akrites Tou Pontou x Pontoxeniteas NSW
16:15 Messinian Dance School of SA
16:45 Ipirotiki Compania
17:50 Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne
18:20 Pegasus Dance Academy (Seniors)
18:50 Mavrothalassites – Pontiaki Estia
19:45 GCM Dance Group
20:15 Apostolis Kasparidis
Konstantina Touni – Live
AA HOLDINGS STAGE
11:00 Melbourne Bellydance
11:30 St John’s Folk Band – Paradosi
12:05 Florina Aristotelis Dance Group (Juniors)
12:35 Pontian Association of Melbourne (Juniors)
13:05 Pegasus Dance Academy (Juniors)
13:40 Pancretan Association (Juniors)
14:15 Pontiaki Estia (Juniors)
14:55 St John’s College Performing Group
15:30 Cretan Brotherhood of Melbourne (Juniors)
16:25 Lefteris Christofis Trio
17:15 Cyprus Community of Melbourne
17:45 Anastasios Theofanous
18:45 Omados
19:45 Nisiotika
20:45 Dio Patrides Band
#LOVELONSDALE STAGE
11:00 Μαγειρική επίδειξη – Olive & Thyme
12:00 Cooking Demonstration – Kathy Tsaples
12:45 Hellenic School of Dance, Culture, Music & Arts (Παιδιά)
12:55 Cooking Demonstration – Taverna
14:00 Oasis Competition
14:30 Cooking Demonstration – Niko’s Garden
15:30 Valia Gianinska
16:00 Florina Aristotelis Dance Group (Veterans)
16:25 Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia
17:00 Nestoras College Music Students – Αφιέρωμα στην Achillea
17:35 Pontiaki Estia (Intermediates)
18:15 Trio Petra
19:45 Estudiantina of Melbourne
20:45 Nico Entertainment
