The team behind Release Athens have lauded Greece’s “booming” concert scene after reporting bumper ticket sales for the festival’s 10th birthday.
Limp Bizkit (15 June), David Byrne (21 June), Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (24 June), Gorillaz (25 June), Moby (1 July), Helloween (10 July) and Sabaton, Savatage and Epica (25 July) have been confirmed for the 25,000-cap summer series’ 2026 edition, with more major names still to be announced.
“Ticket sales have been phenomenal – the strongest we’ve ever seen,” artistic director Thomas Machairas of promoter Fuzz Productions tells IQ. “Gorillaz sold out in less than a week, and other shows are heading the same way. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ show is set to be their biggest ever in Greece, which says a lot, considering they’ve performed here more than 15 times!
“If the momentum continues, we’re on track to welcome close to (or even surpass), 200,000 visitors, which would be a record for Release Athens.”
Since its 2016 debut, the festival has welcomed headliners such as Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, Kylie Minogue, Massive Attack, Liam Gallagher, Pulp, Duran Duran, Avenged Sevenfold and Iggy Pop. More than 130.000 people attended its 2025 series, and Machairas says the criteria for headliners has “always been rooted in diversity and artistic identity”.
“We aim for great names from across the musical spectrum, combining genres, generations, and audiences,” he adds. “We want each day to tell a different story – to bring together different musical ‘colours’ and create a truly inclusive festival experience.”
“After a decade of building Release Athens, we’ve established strong relationships and credibility in the international live music industry”
David Byrne’s performance will take place on the Great Lawn of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), while Gorillaz will grace Plateia Nerou. The two shows are being held in collaboration with philanthropic organisation the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which is also celebrating its 30th anniversary. Tickets – costing €45 for Byrne and €50 for Gorillaz – were priced 40-50% cheaper than normal thanks to a contribution from the SNF.
“It’s hard to imagine a better moment for us to reunite creatively,” says general manager John Mirabitas. “Our 2023 collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the SNF Nostos Festival was one of the most remarkable moments in the festival’s journey. Two organisations came together, sharing values and a high level of production, while approaching music and audience experience in complementary but distinct ways. What unites us with the Foundation is a deep mutual respect and a shared commitment to delivering experiences that are meaningful and lasting for people.”
Machairas says that bringing top international acts to Greece is less challenging than it used to be.
“Greece’s geography can make logistics and routing complicated,” he says. “We’re on the southern edge of Europe and not naturally included in the main touring routes. Combined with the relatively small size of the market, this can make it difficult to attract the biggest names.
“However, after a decade of building Release Athens, we’ve established strong relationships and credibility in the international live music industry. All the major agents and artists know who we are, and every year it becomes easier to have serious discussions about including Athens on their European tours.”
“The live music scene in Greece is vibrant and growing, perhaps more active than ever”
The event primarily focuses on international acts, but typically dedicates one or two days to Greek artists to showcase local talent on the same platform.
“The live music scene in Greece is vibrant and growing, perhaps more active than ever,” says Machairas. “In recent years, we’ve seen a surge in concerts and festivals, and even though not all of them are financially successful, the overall direction is positive. There’s a dedicated audience that supports quality productions, and that gives us optimism.
“There’s real progress. Both promoters and audiences are becoming more sophisticated, and international agents and artists now see Greece as a serious, professional market. From our perspective, we’re not just consolidating what we’ve built, we’re actively looking to expand, both within Greece and beyond.”
In terms of shortcomings, Mirabitas notes that Greece’s indoor venue infrastructure is “mostly small to mid-sized”, with few venues exceeding 2,000 capacity.
“A small number of arenas can handle 5,000 to 6,000 attendees, or up to 15,000 depending on production scale and availability around sporting events,” he continues. “Athens dominates the music scene, not just because of infrastructure, but also because around half the country’s population lives there, making it the natural hub for both tours and large-scale festivals. In regions beyond Athens, venues are significantly smaller, and festivals tend to be seasonal, featuring primarily local performers.”
Fuzz Productions expanded its venue portfolio in 2023 by launching a 2,300-capacity indoor live music venue, called Floyd, in downtown Athens, adding to its 1,500-cap Fuzz Club in the Greek capital. Mirabitas says the former has quickly established itself as “one of Athens’ premier destinations for live music”.
“Since opening, Floyd Live has hosted numerous headline shows including Amyl & The Sniffers, Blind Guardian, In Flames, Mogwai, and Parkway Drive,” adds Mirabitas. “Fuzz Club has long been a cornerstone of the local scene, presenting iconic acts by artists such as Tricky, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Allah-Las, Deus, Nick Waterhouse, Alborosie and The Black Angels. Both venues are central to the Greek live music circuit.”
And even when taking the aforementioned obstacles into account, Machairas is confident the live music market is on track for further growth.
“Greece’s concert scene is booming,” he adds. “At least for our festival, we see more international fans every year coming not just for the shows, but for the full experience. At the same time, sustaining growth means keeping shows authentic and accessible, even with limited infrastructure, scarce government support, and a shortage of suitable venues for mega events.”
L-R: John Mirabitas & Thomas Machairas
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
