From ancient theatres and church courtyards to castles, beaches, abandoned baths and former industrial sites, Greece’s regional music festivals are bringing live performances to some of the country’s most atmospheric settings. From late July through September, eight festivals across the islands and mainland showcase leading Greek and international artists.
Koufonisia – 11th Koufonisia Classical Music Festival | July 17–August 9
The festival, explores musical “Reversals” across eras and styles. Highlights include the baroque program Stile Nuovo on July 25 with Dimos Gkountaroulis, Andreas Linos, Emanuele Forni and Gerasimos Hoidas; Armenian, Pontic and Assyrian songs by soprano Melody Louledjian and pianist Thibaud Epp on July 29; pianist Simon Trpčeski on August 5; and harpist Anaïs Gaudemard with the Hermès Quartet on August 9.
Lemnos – 6th Kournos Music Festival | August 2–17
Alkanna Graeca (D. Botic, A. Achillea, E. Arabatzi)
Under the theme “Excavation/Excavation,” the festival explores Lemnos’ changing identity through performances in abandoned and historic spaces. On August 11, Nikos Veliotis and Alkanna Graeca present the sound installation Therma, while Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale makes his Greek debut on August 13 with a performance inspired by the island’s lost summer cinemas. Elli Paspala and composer Konstantinos Vita also feature.
Aegina – Aegina Music Festival | August 3–22
Marking its 20th edition, the festival moves between the courtyard of the Church of the Saviour, the Molfeisis Theatre and Avra Beach. Artists include Afroditi Patoulidou, Dora Bakopoulou, Lenia Zafeiropoulou and the Minerva Duo. On August 22, Alkinoos Ioannidis and Elli Paspala perform songs by Manos Hadjidakis, accompanied by Bakopoulou on piano.
Samos – 16th Samos Young Artists Festival | August 7–14
Coleman Itzkoff and Janice Carissa at the Ancient Theatre of Pythagoreion, SYAF 2025. Photo: Vaso Parassi.
At the Ancient Theatre of Pythagoreion, the festival spans chamber music, jazz, French chanson and Asia Minor traditions. Highlights include the Marion & Sobo Band, pianist Evelyne Berezovsky and jazz musician Mathis Picard. The closing performance, FOS, features Erini, Sofia Efkleidou and Giorgos Kontogiannis, reflecting on the memory of the Asia Minor refugee experience.
Molyvos – International Molyvos Music Festival | August 12–19
Exploring the idea of “Eudaimonia,” the festival brings concerts to locations including Mytilene Castle, Ancient Antissa and the Museum of Industrial Olive Production. Pianist Danae Dörken and vibraphonist Pascal Schumacher present works by Philip Glass, while Sven Helbig’s I Eat the Sun and Drink the Rain is performed with the Animato Choir. The program also includes the world premiere of Christos Papageorgiou’s Hommage.
Chania – 14th Chania Chamber Music Festival | August 23–September 4
“Dialogues Through Time” connects composers from Mozart and Beethoven to Bartók, Poulenc and Shostakovich. Featured artists include Enrico Pace, Veriko Tchumburidze, Roman Simović, Josef Špaček and Alexei Volodin. The festival concludes at Ancient Aptera Theatre on September 3 and 4, including Giorgos Demertzis performing Skalkottas’ Solo Violin Sonata.
Kalamata – 10th International Music Days | August 24–September 6
Jean Guihen Queyras
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the festival welcomes Jean-Guihen Queyras, Ionian Elias Kantesa, Pablo Hernán Benedí and the Kalamata Festival Orchestra. The August 29 gala focuses on works by J.S. and C.P.E. Bach, while the program also features Schumann and Smetana, alongside a screening of the Japanese silent film A Page of Madness with live original music.
Halki – 5th Dimitris Kremastinos Music Festival “Musical Roots” | September 8–12
5th Halki Music Festival – Dimitris Kremastinos “Musical Roots”
The festival traces music from tradition to contemporary creation. Highlights include the Haig Yazdjian Quintet, Australia’s Darlington String Quartet and a tribute to Giorgos Zambetas featuring Kostas Makedonas and the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra. The closing concert, Exefexe i Anatoli, brings folk and rebetiko traditions together with two harps.
