Melbourne is set to host a landmark celebration of International Greek Language Day on 9 February, marking the first year the observance will be officially honoured worldwide following its historic recognition by UNESCO.
The event, to be held at the Capitol Theatre, will be the first official UNESCO-recognised celebration globally, placing Melbourne at the centre of a milestone moment for Hellenism and the Greek language.
A historic decision for the Greek language
On 12 November 2025, UNESCO’s Plenary Session unanimously voted to recognise and promote International Greek Language Day across all nations, acknowledging the Greek language’s enduring contribution to human civilisation, culture, science and global thought.
The decision is widely regarded as one of the most significant international acknowledgements of the Greek language in modern Greek history. With a documented history spanning nearly 4,000 years, Greek has shaped philosophy, science, theology, medicine and technology, and remains the language of foundational texts, including the Gospels.
The diaspora’s decisive role
The successful UNESCO recognition was spearheaded by the Greek diaspora, in close coordination with metropolitan Greece, under the leadership of Greece’s Ambassador to UNESCO, Georgios Koumoutsakos.
Over a 20-month period, an informal international working group of linguists and Hellenists collaborated to produce a unified submission demonstrating the global importance of the Greek language. The group included:
- Professor Ioannis Corinthios (Italy), who first proposed UNESCO recognition in 2014
- Professor Christos Clairis (France)
- Professor Georgios Babiniotis (Greece)
- Professor Stella Priovolou (Greece)
- Professor Anastasios Tamis (Australia)
- Professor Philippos Trevezas and Konstantinos Hatzidimitriou (USA)
Australia’s Greek community played a particularly influential role. Centred around the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies, which marks 40 years of continuous activity this year, Australian Hellenism contributed scholarly submissions and led sustained political advocacy.
Dozens of letters were sent, and extensive meetings held with politicians, church leaders, journalists and members of the judiciary, to secure Australia’s backing for Greece’s proposal at UNESCO.
From controversy to commitment
In April 2025, Australia’s abstention during the UNESCO Executive Committee vote in Paris sparked strong reactions within the Greek community. In response, the Albanese Government pledged not only to support Greece’s proposal at the UNESCO Plenary Session in Uzbekistan, but also to formally celebrate the recognition with the Greek community in Australia.
That commitment now materialises with Melbourne hosting the inaugural global celebration.
A tribute to Greek education in Australia
The Melbourne event will be dedicated to Panagiotis Liveriadis, the first Education Advisor appointed by the Greek Government in Australia (1977–1981), as well as to the generations of Greek teachers, educators and community organisations who have sustained Greek language learning nationwide.
At the initiative of the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies, an organising committee was formed, comprising academics and institutional representatives deeply involved in Greek language education.
Further celebrations are expected to follow, including a major community event in Perth.
With this historic occasion, Melbourne becomes the global starting point for a new chapter in the recognition, preservation and celebration of the Greek language — a living legacy shaped not only by history, but by the enduring commitment of the diaspora.
Participating organisations
Aalphington Grammar School Effie Bindevis; Australian Institute for Hellenic Research Dr Dimitris Gonis; Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies Christina Kotsifaki, George Lioukas, Theophane Karabatsas, Demetra Flessas, Nikos Papakonstantinou, Makis Kasnaxis; Cypriot Community of Melbourne Katie Georgiou, Cypriot Community of Northern Suburbs John Milidis; Cypriot Community of Sunshine EIKON Artists Ioanna Nikoloulea, Dr Maria Atlas; Greek Community of Melbourne & Victoria Simela Stamatopoulos, Maria Bakalidou; Greek Herald newspaper Mary Sinanidis; Modern Greek Teachers Association Despoina Sarantis; Neos Kosmos Newspaper Sotiris Hatzimanolis; NUGAS Demi Bourdopoulos, Martha Stamatopoulos; Oakleigh Grammar School Natasha Spanos; Pharos Alliance Dionysia Diakodemetriou; Radio 3XY? Radio 3ZZ? SBS Radio Panos Apostolou; St John’s Greek Orthodox College Christian Raspas; TA NEA Newspaper
Scholars and stakeholders
Anna Chatzinikolaou, Christina Despoteris, Dr Christos Fifis, Peter Gogidis, Peter Hatzitelemachou, Dr Maria Herodotou, Yiannis Milidis, Assoc Prof Dr Panagiotelis, P Patisteas– AHEPA, Dr Athanasios Spilias, Terry Stavridis, Prof Dr Anastasios Tamis, Mike Zafiropoulos
Celebration Ceremony for International Greek Language Day
The program of this historic event will be presented by lawyer Dean Kalimniou in Greek and television presenter Eleni Kapalou in English.
Young men and women from the Pegasus Dance Academy of Sotiris Sotirios in representative national costumes of the geographical regions of Greece will be the on-stage performers and speakers.
The guests will be welcomed at the entrance from 7 pm by members of the Pegasus Academy and students of the Day Schools, and from 7.30 in the theater hall with their music by students of the day schools.
The evening will begin with the first two Acts of the Mythody by Vangelis Papathanasiou, as performed at the ruins of the columns of Olympian Zeus, the largest temple of Greek Antiquity, one of the most emblematic monuments of antiquity.
After the introductory welcome by the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria, the 20-minute keynote lecture will follow by the former Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Anthe Philippides. Then, the text of our Nobel Prize-winning poet, Odysseas Elytis, “They Gave Me the Greek Language,” will be artistically recited by Dr. Dimitris Gonis and Betty Exintari, followed by the poetic performance by actors Jeremy Artis and Katerina Poutachidou of eight couplets from the Hymn to Freedom by our National Poet, Dionysios Solomos, whose death day serves as the date for the celebration of International Greek Language Day.
The musical program will begin with the performance of four Byzantine Hymns accompanied by a cello by the EIKON Artists singers.
These are hymns-monuments of musical performance of humanity. The EIKON singers, under the direction of choirmaster Ioanna Nikoloulea, will perform the oldest and most popular Hymns of Christianity.
The epilogue of the musical composition of the great Greek classical music composer, Manolis Kalomiris, Nikitiria from the Leventis Symphony will then be presented.
The performance will be conducted by the famous Australian Conductor, Douglas Heywood, with the Camerata Chorus of Melbourne, a 45-member Choir with rich and multidimensional polyphonic experience, and a number of sopranos.
The performance of Nikitiria, as well as the remaining songs, will be performed by the Choir in the Greek language, after preliminary transcription with Latin numerals by Dr. Dimitris Gonis.
The musical direction is by the experienced and talented composer, Andreas Koikas with a musical instrumental ensemble of twelve musicians. Fourteen songs will be performed, with music and choir, to lyrics by Seferis, Elytis and Ritsos, which were milestones in the modern history of Hellenism, with composers Xarchakos, Hatzidakis and Theodorakis.
After the musical repertoire, the Awards of Gratitude will be announced and awarded to five Philhellenes of Victoria, who, through their action and contribution, have spiritually, socially, culturally, and politically strengthened Greece (Metropolitan and Diaspora) and the Greeks. The event will close with the national anthems performed by the Camerata Choir, the school choir of the Day Schools to a musical composition by Andreas Koikas and with the participation of sopranos.
A program will be given for free to all attendees as well as a six-page brochure with the decision and rationale for the recognition of the Greek Language by UNESCO will be printed in hundreds of copies, in Greek and English, to be distributed to schools, day and afternoon, that teach the Greek language, so that their students can create awareness of the importance of their mother tongue.
The event is expected to attract approximately 600 people from all over Australia, with invitations being sent by name to individuals and representatives of organisations who express a desire to be invited.
The organisers aim to reserve at least 100 places for VCE students studying the Greek language. All those who will participate must have registered their presence (RSVP) at the event by name, in order to avoid problems of inseparability in the room. Those wishing to reserve places can call any of the members of the Organising Committee, or Lioukas, Panagioteli and Gogidis (see below), giving their name and telephone number.
This event, which has no commercial purpose and is offered free of charge, but has enormous expenses, is supported exclusively by the Greek Diaspora, without any government support from Greece or Australia, despite the given decision of UNESCO.
So far, for this costly event of national interest, $10,000.00 has been offered by AIMS, $5,000 by Petros Patisteas, $5,000 by Christina Kotsifaki-Sarri, $1,000 by V. Papastergiadis, Taverna Limnos and Stamatis Liveriadis. Main sponsors of the event are also Maria Sakellaridis and the Director of Ellikon Fine Printers, Panagiotis Zapris, whose contribution in kind and endless hours of work is invaluable.
All those who wish to offer a sponsorship to this historic event for the Greek Diaspora and Hellenism are requested to contact the Treasurers of AIMS, George Lioukas (george.lioukas@aims.edu.au), Professor Anastasios Panagiotelis (anastasiospanagiotelis@gmail.com) or the Secretary, Panagiotis Gogidis (panosgogidis@hotmail.com). The names of the Sponsors will be listed in the Program and they will receive an official receipt of their donation.
