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Cultural Events
Cultural events including dance and theatre, recitals, concerts,
international trade shows, conferences and symposia, public lectures,
gallery exhibits, sports events and marathons are an integral part of life
in this bustling cosmopolitan capital.
Built in 161 BC, the Odeon of
Herod Atticus at the foot of the Acropolis can accommodate up to 5000
spectators. The Odeon provides one of the most important open-air venues for
staging the annual Athens Festival, featuring music concerts and dance
troupes from around the world. Superb performances of ancient and modern
drama are staged at the Herod Atticus Theatre. The National Theatre of
Greece stages drama performances in modern Greek with English translations
provided. Undoubtedly the pride and joy of the city's cultural life, the
Athens Concert Hall comprises a modern theatre, concert and conference hall
with spacious reception areas, exhibition space and a 500-seat recital hall.
The Megaron hall is a 2,000-seat auditorium hosting operatic, dance and
drama performances almost daily. Perched high on its namesake hill in the
centre of the city, the 4,000-seat open-air Lycabettus amphitheatre hosts a
variety of concerts by contemporary jazz and pop artists, as well as chamber
orchestras, mainly during the summer. The open-air Dora Stratou Theatre on
Filopappou Hill provides the venue for traditional Greek dances performed by
the internationally acclaimed company from May to September.
The decision of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) to hold the 2004 Games in Athens
energised a nation imbued with the historic memory of the Olympic Games of
ancient times. Millions of visitors to Greece and billions of TV-viewers
enjoyed a unique celebration of sports and culture on a more human scale,
linking the ancient with the modern, when the Games returned to their
birthplace in August 2004. |
