One of Australia’s largest cultural festivals, the annual Antipodes Festival, kicks off this weekend in Melbourne, drawing thousands of visitors for a celebration of Greek heritage with live performances, traditional dancing, and authentic cuisine, according to The Greek Reporter.
More than 100,000 people are expected to crowd the Lonsdale Street corridor – once the heart of Melbourne’s Greek community– on Saturday and Sunday for the festival’s 37th edition. Organized by the Greek Community of Melbourne, the event showcases Greek music, dance, food, and drinks, offering attendees an opportunity to connect with fellow Greek-Australians and other festivalgoers.
Festival director Jorge Menidis said Antipodes is a celebration of both Greek and Greek-Australian culture. “It is a Melbourne festival, not a ‘Greek festival.’ It defines one’s identity – it is born of another place and another time but it speaks to a generation that has been born here, in the Antipodes,” Menidis told The Greek Reporter.
“The artists, the musicians and dancers, and the audience identify with something that is geographically remote but inherent in their own personal identities,” he added.
This year’s festival goes beyond tradition, featuring internationally renowned artists who have performed at Sydney’s Greek Festival in Darling Harbour. Among them are Nikos Zoidakis and Xylourides, known for blending Greek folk with contemporary sounds.
The festival has expanded significantly over the years. Organizers note that while there were just 25 stalls two decades ago, this year’s event boasts 95. The appeal of Antipodes has also broadened, attracting a diverse audience. A study commissioned by Melbourne University found that nearly 50% of attendees are non-Greek.
Melbourne, home to the largest Greek population outside Greece, also shares a sister-city relationship with Greece’s northern port city of Thessaloniki.
