[InTime News]
The stage setup for a free concert by popular singer Antonis Remos in Thessaloniki will be changed after scaffolding around the northern port city’s statue of Alexander the Great sparked criticism, city officials said Sunday.
Remos is scheduled to perform Saturday at the city’s Nea Paralia waterfront promenade as part of a concert marking 30 years of his career. The event will be open to the public free of charge.
The initial stage design incorporated the prominent statue into the concert setup, prompting criticism over the way the monument was being used as part of the stage. George Dimarelos, Thessaloniki’s deputy mayor for public space and municipal police, said the city asked organizers to immediately reconsider the setup after seeing the impact of the initial design.
“The monument should remain unobstructed and clearly visible and be showcased in the way it deserves,” Dimarelos said.
He said the concert would go ahead with the revised setup and described it as an opportunity to showcase Thessaloniki as a modern and outward-looking city while highlighting its history and landmarks.
Galaxias Live Productions, which is producing the concert, said all necessary measures had been taken to protect the statue.
The company said the monument would also be highlighted during the concert through special lighting, modern technology and visual systems meeting international standards, with the aim of showcasing Alexander the Great, the waterfront and Thessaloniki to audiences beyond Greece.
The concert is intended to celebrate Remos’ three decades in Greek music and is being promoted as a large public event in his hometown.
