Athens Epidaurus Festival proudly presents the young musicians of El Sistema Greece for the second time in its history at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, in collaboration with producer, musician and DJ Blend Mishkin.

On July 5, members of El Sistema Greece Youth Orchestra and El Sistema Greece Youth Choir join forces with Blend Mishkin reggae band Roots Evolution and favorite Greek singers, in an artistically unexpected meeting at the iconic Odeon of Herodes Atticus and present new performances of songs that marked contemporary music, based in turn on older hits, thus introducing past music to younger audiences.

El Sistema Greece is a community music project that since 2016 provides free music education to children and young people in Greece. All children —no matter their origin, nationality, or religion— are not only inspired to strive for a better future, but thanks to music, they are given a platform for dialogue and togetherness across diverse communities.

Music is a universal language which can be a powerful tool for social inclusion. Musical education has been proven to be an incredibly effective medium for achieving long term social change for both the children involved, and their families, worldwide.

FokiaNou Art is pleased to present The Castro, a group show curated by Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris, for which participating artists responded to an open call. The exhibition title refers to the famous San Francisco district that since the 1960s has become one of the most well-known centers of LGBT activism and culture in the world. The title’s double meaning is the antithesis of a free environment, that of a traditional castle as a walled-in, exclusive and restrictive institution.

Artists were asked to play with the word castro, and its double meaning, presenting the bright and open castle of freedom, acceptance and equality, as well as the dark and enclosed castle of racism, homophobia and violence. The show comprises a wide variety of media: drawing, painting, photography, video and sculpture.

Curated by Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris

Participating artists: Sofia Archangelou, Dimitrios-Claudio Bantourakis, Sebastian Boulter and Taija Goldblatt, Aristea Charoniti, Stelios Dexis and Myrto Vounatsou, Andromachi Giannopoulou, Marietta Kallona, Vasiliki Kanellou, Christos Katsinis, Kalliopi Kouklinou, Kelly Koumarianou, Andreas Lyberatos, Alexandros Mavrogiannis, Gioula Papadopoulou, Dina Skapetoylia, Christina-Sylvia Simantira, Maaike Stutterheim, Zari Nikolov, Maria Bourbou, Eva Gkilntirim, Geeta Roopnarine, Stella Sevastopoulos, Marios Trichas, Panagiotis Voulgaris, Grigoria Vryttia.

The use of masks and social distancing are required in all areas of the space, including the roof terrace, halls and elevator.

FokiaNou Art Space is an artist-run project space in the intimacy of a small apartment in an old building in the center of Athens. The space encourages collaborative creative efforts between Greek and foreign artists, thereby promoting and supporting the local art community. The space hosts exhibitions, workshops and projects under the direction of two artists, Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris.

Opening: Tuesday 6 July 2021 at 18.30
Duration: 6-17 July 2021. Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 18.30 - 21.30
Where: FokiaNou Art Space, Fokianou 24, 7th floor, Pagkrati
Metro: Evangelismos.

The heart of mountain running beats at the “place beyond the mountain”. Preparations of athletes and organizers are gradually being completed while pulse rates are increasing and the adrenaline is rushing ahead of Zagori Mountain Running, the biggest mountain running race. The 10th anniversary race is approaching and Zagori, with its outstanding natural beauty, is expected to gather again, with utmost safety, professional and amateur runners from Greece and abroad on July 23-25, 2021.

Great athletes honor the event’s 11 years!
The TeRA 80km, which is considered as the milestone-race in the history of mountain ultras, is expected with even more excitement this year due to the participation of Greek athletes such as Fotis Zisimopoulos, Vangelis Noulas, Angelos Ziakas, Thodoris Zisis and Giannis Kourkourikis, while Dimitris Seletis, the 2019 winner with a time of 8:18’:06’’ will attempt to claim the first place again. Moreover, participations from Spain such as the one of Jesed Hernandez, who returns with the desire to claim the first place, and of Miguel Angel Heras, the greatest foreign athlete who has ever visited our country so far, are expected with great interest. Finally, Apostolos Tzoumakas is the outsider of the race.

The schedule
Participants will be able to receive their participation kits from Thursday, July 22 at the Fifth Element store (Dagli 2 & Papazoglou, in Ioannina), between 18:00 and 21:00 or alternatively on Friday, July 23 (12:00 to 22:00) and on Saturday, July 24 (10:00 to 20:00) at Tsepelovo High School. On Friday, July 23, at 19:00 in the afternoon, the race briefing of the athletes will take place at the Tsepelovo High School and at 20:00 there will be a Pasta Party for the athletes of 80km &44km races, with the support of Melissa pasta industry and Dodoni dairy product company.

Races’ action starts on Saturday, July 24, at 04:30 in the morning, at Tsepelovo, with the TeRA 80km mountain running race. The race’s development extends to 80 kilometers and its positive altitude difference exceeds the 5,100 meters. The race has a time limit of 20 hours from the start and has 4 intermediate elimination points. At 06:00 in the morning, Marathon 44+ takes over. A filling 44km circular route, with 2,600m of positive altitude, which challenges athletes to raise their personal goals and experience mountain running from a different angle.

With the coolness and hydration offered by the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI, children’s favorite running race of 1km distance, ZAGORAKI, will be held on Saturday afternoon at 2 18:00. The children are expected to have fun, run in nature and learn the values of sports. At the end of the race, there will be a draw and prizes will be given from the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI in the context of environmental responsibility and familiarization with the concept of recycling. The lottery will be attended by all participants and visitors who will recycle any packaging of glass, plastic, and aluminum in the mobile recycling unit with photovoltaic panels that will be located on site.

On Sunday July 25, athletes will get to know the two brand new routes, the Half Marathon 21km and the Entry Race 10km. At 07:45 in the morning the renewed Half Marathon 21km race will start, while the competitive Entry Race 10km will start at 09:10. All routes have Tsepelovo as their starting and finishing point. Due to the current condition of the pandemic, the athletes on all routes will start gradually, in order to avoid overcrowding at the starting point.

How to join us
The event will be conducted based on the strict health protocol that has received the approval of the Health Scientific Committee of the General Secretariat of Sports which is being carried out by the organizing committee. All participants must bring an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate in order to enter the event’s venue. Alternatively, they must have conducted a rapid test or a PCR test against Covid-19 within 48 hours before the start of their race and provide confirmation of their negative result. With the exception of those who will provide a vaccination certificate or a certificate that proves that they have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 2 to 9 months. Finally, if there are consecutive race days for a participant, it is recommended to do 1 test before the first race.

What Participants Should Know
Based on the current measures and the current period, all participants must bring an EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate in order to enter the event’s venue. Alternatively, they must have conducted a rapid test or a PCR test against Covid-19 within 48 hours before the start of their race and provide confirmation of their negative result. With the exception of those who will provide a vaccination certificate or a certificate that proves that they have recovered from Covid-19 within the last 2 to 9 months. Finally, if there are consecutive race days for a participant, it is recommended to do 1 test before the first race.

The 1km ZAGORAKI Children's Race
Τhe children’s favorite race returns with the coolness and hydration offered by the Natural Mineral Water ZAGORI. ZAGORAKI, the children’s 1 km distance running race, will take place this year at the village of Tsepelovo, in the afternoon of Saturday, July 24, 2021. Its goal is the contact of children with running in nature, through an entertaining activity that highlights the values ​​of sports. For the 1km children’s race, children 3 to 12 years old can participate. Each child will be awarded with a commemorative medal and a collectible technical t-shirt.

Children’s participation is FREE.

Athens is often called the cradle of philosophy and democracy. Even though historically both philosophy and democracy first emerged as concepts in the Greek cities of ancient Asia Minor it was in Athens where they flourished for over two centuries, where democratic institutions became philosophy in practice.

Here philosophy was exercised and taught in the free public space amongst equal citizens. Both philosophy and democracy openly questioned traditional norms and ideals in theory and in practice; through oration and dialogue, the urban landscape forged the Athenian way of life. Philosophy was initially taught and practiced in the ancient Agora but also, eventually, Schools were founded in the outskirts of the city.

Nowadays, the traces of that ancient city are still visible in modern Athens, and invite our imagination to a venture through history and theory that combines a visit at the physical spaces where the greatest philosophers taught with a seminar about the theoretical concepts they invented.

On the occasion of this year’s August Full Moon, the Acropolis Museum will offer to its visitors the opportunity to enjoy the Museum exhibits as follows:
 
On Saturday 21 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8am to 8pm with free entry to all visitors, on the occasion of the Museum’s participation in the "Greece 2021" initiative.

The Museum second floor restaurant will be open until 12 midnight and visitors will be able to enjoy the moon from the terrace for dinner/drinks (telephone reservations on +30 210 9000915).
 
On Sunday 22 August 2021, the Museum exhibition areas will remain open from 8am to 10pm. The second floor restaurant will be open during the same hours.

• English: 6 p.m. (2 simultaneous talks)
• Greek: 8 p.m. (2 simultaneous talks)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Participation: Limited to 10 visitors per session. For registration, please refer to the Information Desk at the Museum entrance on the same day. First-in first-served.
• Health protection measures: It is necessary to wear a mask (not provided by the Museum) and to use the whisper guide system headsets (provided by the Museum).
• Cost: The general admission fee to the Museum is required (10 euro).

Morning Saturday and Sunday gallery talks, "Marathon - Salamis. In traces of myth and history" and "Walking in the ancient neighbourhood of the Acropolis Museum" will be held as usual.

It’s been a difficult year for humanity, but together, we have the power to help each other get back on our feet. Οn August 25-29, 2021, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation's (SNF) SNF Nostos events that ordinarily take place each June at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, Greece, will give us a chance to get together, to start talking, and to get moving once again. We look forward to experiencing SNF Nostos in person this summer with all of you.

SNF Nostos is an international, multidimensional festival bursting with art, conversation and ideas, music, dance, performances, participatory entertainment, and sports activities. SNF Nostos combines a fresh lineup of beloved Greek and international artists with annual signature events: the SNF Nostos Conference featuring luminaries from diverse spheres, the evening SNF Nostos RUN, and the SNF DIALOGUES in collaboration with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Discover

How can we make sure that artificial intelligence technology emboldens the human spirit, rather than diminishes it? How might we use AI to build a healthier, greener, and more equitable world? Can we limit the risks of AI, and ensure its benefits are widely shared? Can we use AI to overcome our limitations instead of simply reinforcing them?

The 2021 SNF Nostos Conference, dedicated to Humanity and Artificial Intelligence, will explore these questions and more from August 26 to August 28.

Register HERE!

Discuss

On August 25th, SNF DIALOGUES, a series of events held through journalism nonprofit iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development), will host an open discussion as part of SNF Nostos on the topic of Humanity-AI Symbiosis in collaboration with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Guided by expert perspectives and driven by the audience’s curiosity, the DIALOGUES discussion will address the ethical, philosophical and social issues that arise from the use of developed AI systems in everyday life, and what the future holds for society and democracy. The event will feature a live discussion with an AI system, giving food for thought and setting the stage for further discussion, including a Q&A with young people at the end of the event.

Register HERE!

Run

It may be the most satisfying activity at the SNF Nostos celebration, and it’s certainly the sweatiest. On August 25th, the SNF Nostos Run returns with an opportunity to join other runners from all over Greece and around the world in shaking off those lockdown cobwebs. The run will be held in-person and will also include a virtual option. Organization of the race is supervised by the nonprofit Regeneration & Progress and medical supervision is provided by the First Orthopedic Clinic at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA).

Registration for the SNF Nostos Run opens on June 23rd.

Enjoy

Artists from Greece and around the globe will present original works and installations that help us appreciate and rethink the world around us, including the mesmerizing potential artificial intelligence holds for humanity. Games, puzzles, and computer science conundrums will ignite curiosity and stretch brains of all ages. Electrifying musical acts will get us on our feet and moving to the beat.

This is the established annual appointment of book lovers that this year started on September 3. With the exception of last year’s postponement due to the pandemic, the Zappeion Book Festival is the first autumn cultural festival for the capital. This year, it will last until September 19, 2021.

This year’s Festival tribute will focus on the 200 years since the Greek Revolution and will include related discussions, speeches, round tables and other events, in addition to the thousands of books that will be available to visitors. In fact, an interesting fact is that the poster and the cover of the catalog of the 49th event adorn one of the works of the important Greek painter Christos Antonaropoulos.

Monday-Thursday: 18: 00-22: 30

Friday & Saturday: 18: 00-23: 00

Be the first to see the Hellenic Air Force’s new state-of-the-art Rafale take to the Greek skies, performing gravity-defying manoeuvres! The French Demo Rafale will take off from Tanagra for an amazing display of its flight capabilities, and you’ll be impressed by its unique flexibility and the wonderful paint scheme prepared for this year’s air show by the French Air Force!

Athens Flying Week, the largest air show in Greece, returns on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of September more impressive than ever!!! Watch a “COMBAT EVAC” exercise by the Greek Armed Forces, demonstrations for the aircrafts of the Hellenic Air Force, the Army and the Navy but also the fire extinguishers Canadair CL-415 and PZL!

Don’t miss the unique spectacle organized by the Athens Flying Week team for the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution!

Aegean Airlines with the A320 NEO is also joining the Air Show and of course the 114th Combat Wing together with EAB who provide us with their hospitable facilities!

Get ready for the most impressive static exhibition ever!!! Do not miss the opportunity to take pictures with the French Rafale, the Tornado and the F-15s of the Royal Saudi Air Force, the Italian M-346, the C-130 from Belgium, the Austrian PC-7 and of course the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Tornado from Germany.

Get your ticket on time through viva.gr and its network of partners, from 15 euros for adults and 7.5 euros for minors. Due to COVID measures, the tickets are issued ONLY electronically while as every year there is a bus available to transport the spectators to and from the air base of Tanagra! See the detailed flight schedule with all international and Greek entries for Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th of September.

Ready for take off?

 

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XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of Athens Flying Week 

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Motorsport enthusiasts… start your engines! As for the rest of us, while we wait for our lives to resume something approaching their former speed and spin, here’s some exhilarating news to stir up the dust. 

One of the rally world’s most legendary events – the Acropolis Rally of Gods – is set to return to the Greek capital this September, after an eight year absence.  

Since its debut in 1951, the Acropolis Rally has built a cult following and is considered one of the World Rally Championship’s most fearsome and glorious rounds. Twisty and rocky mountain roads conspire with the ancient Athenian dust and intense heat to provide rally drivers with a Herculean challenge - and many recognised drivers have found themselves humiliated in the attempt. 

There were some murmurs last year about this iconic gravel road rally revving up in Athens once again, but Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has now officially waved the flag to confirm that the competition has been added to the 2021 calendar of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), and a multi-year agreement reached. This year, Rally of Gods will form round 10 of the season from September 9 – 12, 2021, replacing the Copec Rally Chile, which was sidelined due to the pandemic.

The Acropolis Rally Greece will start from its traditional location beneath the Parthenon, restoring one of the sport’s most sought-after picture postcard images for rally fans across the world.

The Greek Prime Minister celebrated the WRC’s revival in Greece in a recorded message of support:

This content was originally published on This is Athens
Photo Credit: WRC Promoter

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Whether you’ve just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!

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