Why foreign artists praise the Greek audience at concerts – What are the differences between Greek fans and foreign artists

A few days ago at the Kallimarmaro, another big concert took place and was successfully added to the 2025 festival happenings in Greece. Robbie Williams came again to our lands and gave us a spectacular performance. What stood out, however, was the song “Me and my Monkey”, an old favourite of the Greek audience. Before he started singing it, he noted with emotion, “This song is appreciated and loved by you like no other audience in the world”, going on to say, “What you do warms my heart”. The gratitude Williams feels for his fans in Greece, which he wrote about on his personal Instagram account, is nothing new, though.

Why Foreign Artists Praise Greek Audiences at Concerts – What Makes Greek Fans Different

A large number of international artists and musicians have, over time, praised the love and energy they receive from Greeks during their performances in the country. According to them, they adore our energy, how we sing every song word for word, how we dance tirelessly, and how we make them feel “at home,” as Sivert Høyem of Madrugada once said.

Music in Our Blood

It’s not surprising when you think about it — Greece has always had a deep and unique connection with music and those who create it. In fact, music in Greece is as old as civilization itself — the very word “music” comes from the “Muses.” In ancient times, music was not just sound but an essential part of education, philosophy, and religion.

With the rise of Christianity, music in Greece entered a new era — from the Byzantine chants meant to lift the soul toward heaven, to Greek folk music and rebetiko. Our culture is woven together with sound, with most songs telling stories of love, exile, war, and nature.

The Greek Audience “Thirsts” for Music

The Greeks’ timeless love for music stems from its deep roots in every aspect of life. Music here is inseparable from memory, faith, and community. But what about today? In recent decades, music lovers in Greece have multiplied. Even as they embrace sounds beyond the bouzouki and clarinet, their enthusiasm remains the same.

Take, for instance, the legendary Rolling Stones concert in 1998 at the Olympic Stadium, where “Gimme Shelter” was sung by 50,000 people and “Sympathy for the Devil” nearly brought the stage down. The list of such electrifying concerts is endless: Guns N’ Roses, Tina Turner, The Stranglers, Iggy Pop, and many more legends have all performed unforgettable shows, fueled by the “madness and vitality” of Greek crowds.

Despite economic hardships and the restrictions of the pandemic, Greeks — who have always loved nodding their heads to their favorite song — are now hungrier than ever for live music. As Yiannis Paltoglou, director of Ejekt Festival, told IQ Magazine, “Greek fans are thirsty for international artists.” Since the end of COVID-19, festivals in Greece and abroad have flourished. From global music icons to local bands reviving old folk songs with a modern twist, Greeks live for concerts.

Paltoglou adds: “If a new band comes to Greece and plays their debut album, they’ll keep coming back with every new one.”

Singing with Our Souls

So what makes Greeks one of the most beloved concert audiences in the world? Let’s hear it from the artists themselves.

The Prodigy are known lovers of Greece. The band has performed here multiple times and even released a five-minute video about Greece in 2011 to promote their Athens concert that summer. Keith Flint and Liam Howlett described Greeks as “expressive people, always ready to have fun.” They even said they often found inspiration to write new songs after performing in Greece.

When U2 performed in Athens in 2010, Bono told the crowd: “Greece is a wonderful country because of the Greeks,” calling us “incredible people.” Similarly, after Guns N’ Roses’ show in Athens, guitarist Slash tweeted: “Thank you, Athens, for a fantastic final night of the European tour! You were amazing! A perfect farewell we’ll never forget!”

Coldplay shared the same enthusiasm — during their 2024 Athens concert, Chris Martin told the audience they were “grateful,” later posting a video on Instagram captioned: “When you finish your show, but the amazing crowd keeps singing your last song.”

Music Has No Age in Greece

Many artists have highlighted the passion and inclusiveness of Greek audiences. The metal band Sanctuary said after a concert: “Greeks are just amazing. They’re so devoted and sing so loudly that sometimes I can’t even hear my own voice.” Likewise, Sabaton’s frontman, Joakim Brodén, expressed his surprise and delight at how even older fans sang along “with all their hearts.”

Perhaps the most striking moment was when Eric Burdon of The Animals performed at the Vrahon Theatre in 2005. The crowd, as one attendee recalled, “included everyone — fathers with sons, grandfathers with grandchildren — all singing and moving to the rhythm.” Burdon was deeply moved, and the audience once again proved that in Greece, music knows no age.

The “Home” of Music

All this makes Greece a place artists fall in love with. They feel at home — their musical Ithaca — a place they keep returning to. They form a special bond with Greek audiences, one that’s hard to break. Sivert Høyem and Madrugada, who always include Greece in their tours, said it best:
“Athens! It will take us some time to realize what happened this weekend. What an incredible experience! It’s an honor to have you as our audience — we hope we made you proud.”

Let’s not forget the Scorpions, who have performed countless times in Greece and developed a close relationship with the country, as well as James, Metallica, Kadebostany, and Florence and the Machine. They all share the same admiration for the energy they feel when they step on a Greek stage and say — often in broken Greek — “Ελλάδα, σε ευχαριστώ” (“Greece, thank you”).