This summer, the picturesque Greek island of Kastellorizo will welcome the Near & Far Kastellorizo International Music Festival for the very first time, from June 27 to 29. The island’s natural amphitheatrical harbor will be transformed into a dreamlike open-air stage, inviting both residents and visitors to experience a world-class musical celebration under the Aegean sky.
The festival opens on Friday, June 27, with a performance by the internationally acclaimed musician Ara Dinkjian and his group, The Secret Trio. On Saturday, June 28, festival founder Pericles Kanaris takes the stage to present his original work NAYTΩΔΙΑ. The closing night, Sunday, June 29, features soprano Vassia Alati in an Opera Gala, offering a stirring repertoire of famous opera and operetta arias, as well as beloved Italian canzonettas.
The vision behind the Near & Far Festival is to establish a high-caliber international music forum that transcends genres, all set against the island’s breathtaking backdrop.
The festival seeks to foster artistic expression inspired by the island’s beauty, drawing both emerging and established artists from the Greek diaspora and international philhellenes. It also aims to enrich local life—especially for youth—and highlight Kastellorizo as a cultural destination.
The choice of Kastellorizo as the host site is deeply symbolic. Though small in size, the island holds immense historical and emotional significance. Its people, many of whom are part of the global Greek diaspora, have carried their heritage across continents while maintaining an enduring love for their homeland.
Just as Kastellorizo is emotionally near yet geographically distant from mainland Greece, so too are the Greeks of the diaspora and their philhellene peers—near and far from their ancestral roots. The festival’s name, written in English as a universal language, encapsulates this powerful bond that bridges distance with cultural closeness.
