And just like that, summer has come and gone. Blink, and before you know it, it’ll be June again—and time for a celebration of three decades of global grantmaking at SNF Nostos 2026. Here’s a preview of what we’ve got coming from June 21 – 28, not only at SNF Nostos’s usual stomping grounds of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, but also from areas in the north of Greece to the Peloponnese in the south.
“Humanity at the core,” SNF’s guiding principle, will inspire conversations and activities that celebrate a 30-year journey of impact by our global grantee-partners and explore the next 30 years of philanthropy. Curated with the journalism nonprofit iMEdD, our close partner, with the guidance of the SNF Nostos Youth Advisory Committee, a group of young people around the world who are deeply involved in planning the gathering, SNF Nostos once again seeks to center the perspectives and input of young people in this dialogue. The signature SNF Nostos Conference that has traditionally formed the backbone of the gathering will look different this year, with a more participatory format in which our grantee-partners lead the way.
A choose-your-own-adventure conference. Guests will move through the SNFCC, selecting from a menu of events and activities across four thematic clusters related to SNF’s grantmaking: Arts & Culture, Civics & Education, Health & Sports, and the Future. At each of these hubs, they will find a variety of interactive offerings, built on the participation of our amazing grantee-partners.
Digital immersion or digital detox? Guests can also take a virtual journey further afield, experiencing the geographic and thematic breadth of SNF’s more than 5,600 grants through an immersive installation—then take a break from all things digital in a leave-your-phone-at-the-door tech-free zone designed to offer a space for relaxation, restoration, and genuine interaction with other people unmediated by technology.
Experience it on the ground. Those interested can opt for a chance at a physical rather than a digital journey, traveling to take part in open house days with SNF projects and partners: the three new SNF hospitals under construction in Thessaloniki, Komotini, and Sparta as part of our Global Health Initiative (GHI); the Mobile Medical Unit missions organized by Regeneration & Progress; and the traditional mountain village humming with new life thanks to the Vamvakou Revival initiative.
Concerts, sports, opera, theater, and more. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, well-known artists will headline two not-to-be-missed live Release Athens x SNF Nostos concerts, which we are very pleased to present in partnership with Release Athens Festival following the success of a similar collaboration in 2023. Throughout the week, the Greek National Opera will put on a run of specially conceived performances, our partners at the Tällberg Foundation will use theater to explore the balance of power between humanity and AI, and we’ll have ample opportunity throughout for genuine human connection with old acquaintances and new friends alike. We’ll get moving for a good cause at the much-loved SNF Nostos Run, which will feature 6K and 10K routes beginning in the Zappeion Garden in Central Athens and ending at the SNFCC, as well as a 1K Special Olympics route. Since 2026 is a World Cup year, we’ll be streaming the games live and hosting friendly matches—“soccer” for American guests and “football” for everyone else—as well as Nostos-specific editions of a popular Athenian trivia night.
Just before the closing party. SNF Nostos reaches a crescendo near the end of the week with: a free-form, unscripted AMA conversation with SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos; an SNF Dialogues discussion held in collaboration with Simon Fraser University; a magical—in the non-metaphorical sense—interlude with Mark Mitton; and a dance-driven closing party soundtracked by a marquee DJ in the SNFCC Agora.
We’ll be sharing more updates that include further information on additional events and how to participate, including in visits beyond Athens, with the next one coming in the second half of November. We hope you’re as excited for SNF Nostos 2026 as we are!