The SNFestival, a festival free and open to all, invites us to find something of ourselves, bringing together—under a single roof and on the same stage—all those that surprise, excite us and “take us back to our favorite summers.” Music, dance, theater, modern art, sports, games, performances and talks set the stage for this year’s Summer Nostos Festival. Highlights from previous events are available here.
The SNFestival is organized and exclusively funded by the SNF and is held at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). The SNF returns, once a year, to the “home” it created for all people, in an attempt to further showcase the SNFCC. The implementation of the SNFestival is made possible with the collaboration of the SNFCC SA.
All SNFestival events are free and open for all. The concerts and happenings take place on five outdoor and indoor, stages, inside the buildings and at other unexpected locations throughtout the Stavros Niarchos Park and the SNFCC.
The SNFestival opens Sunday afternoon on June 17th and closes after midnight on Sunday, June 24th.
The full program, as well as detailed information, will be available soon on SNFestival’s official website at www.SNFestival.org and on SNF’s website.
The 7th annual SNF International Conference on Philanthropy is also held as part of the SNFestival, from June 21st to June 23rd, 2018. The Conference will explore one of the most debated concepts of our times, that of Disruption. In addition, on June 20th, an event in collaboration with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University will be held, focusing on the social, cultural and political polarization, as well as the ways to disrupt its effects by promoting civic engagement and civil discourse.
Also, on June 23rd when the Olympic Day is celebrated, the evening run SNF RUN: Running into the Future (10km, 6km and 1km Special Olympics) is taking place.
Below is a first taste of what is going to be presented at the Summer Nostos Festival 2018.
SUMMER NOSTOS FESTIVAL 2018
Music
- Twenty years after their last recording together, Stereo Nova reunite for an exclusive concert on the stage of the Summer Nostos Festival. K.Bhta and Mikael Delta join forces once again, taking the Athenian audience on a musical journey filled with favorite melodies, marking a new beginning. The two artists stated: “After many years, we thought it would be a great idea to do a live gig. It is an ideal moment. We needed time to figure out certain simple things in life. We want to share with our friends one more musical concert, an anthology of all our songs, the scale, the focus, like counting from zero to infinity.”
- The songwriter Seu Jorge and the Athens State Orchestra present The Life Aquatic – a tribute to David Bowie. The concert features David Bowie’s greatest hits, as they were adapted for Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou.On the adaptation of his songs, Bowie himself had stated: “If Seu Jorge had not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would have never heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with.”
- The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet and director Sam Green present the live documentary A thousand thoughts, a portrait of the legendary quartet, in a highly creative multimedia performance that combines live music and narration with archival material.
For the first time ever in Greece
- Renowned opera diva, Joyce DiDonato, in a baroque program entitled War and Peace, accompanied by the ensemble Il Pomo d’ Oro.
- The American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), the voice ensemble Theatre of Voices, under the direction of Paul Hillier, and Islandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (nominated twice for Best Original Score in the Oscars) present Drone Mass, a composition outside its era and contemporary at the same time, which premiered at the Egyptian Temple of Dendur (Metropolitan Museum of NY).
- The sensitive—Greek-born—troubadour Alexi Murdoch, shortly before the release of his new album, performs old favorites for the first time in Greece, while simultaneously presenting his new work.
- The singer and actress Rumer Willis performs classic acoustic jazz and soul hits, from Billie Holiday to Amy Winehouse.
- The Barr Brothers, Brad and Andrew Barr, from Montreal, Canada, present their unique sound, based on a multitude of musical traditions, and multiple unusual instruments.
- This year, the Festival presents an exclusive collaboration between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Athens Conservatory and New York’s Willie Mae Rock Camp: a weekly music camp for girls and gender nonconforming at the Athens Conservatory, with teachers from New York and Athens; a music education and guidance program devoted to empowering youth through art.
Dance
- The American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, the renowned incubator of major international dancers such as Misty Copeland, opens the Festival with a performance at the Stavros Niarchos Hall and a surprise collaboration with the Greek National Opera Dance School, with a dynamic choreography by Daphnis Kokkinos.
- The unwavering Konstantinos Rigos recreates the emblematic Le Sacre du Printemps and the talented Marianna Kavalieratou glorifies female nature with breathtaking musical sounds on stage.
Theater
- The Theater of War, building on last year’s successful performance of Antigone in Ferguson, returns to Athens with a play inspired by Martin Luther King’s last sermon The Drum Major Instinct, a dynamic, timeless and very relevant speech on human impulses, which will set the foundation for a constructive dialogue on social justice and equality.
- Everyone’s favorite shadow-theater player Elias Karellas is inspired by Aristophanes’ Βirds and creates a performance for children and parents.
Sports
- Sports play a central role in the Summer Nostos Festival’s program, with the evening race SNF RUN: Running into the Future (10Κ, 6Κ, 1Κ Special Olympics) taking place on the Olympic Day (June 23rd).
- Furthermore, a plethora of fun-filled daily activities awaits both young and old at the Running Track, the Stavros Niarchos Park, and the Canal!
Chess
The chess master Garry Kasparov returns to the Summer Nostos Festival to participate in a different, unique showdown. More information will be announced shortly!
Entertainment
Comedian Giorgos Xatzipavlou and Magician Mark Mitton host an extraordinary variety of performers in this 70-minute extravaganza for all ages. This is not only a great show, but also an experience! You will witness amazing acts that will make you laugh, scream and feel inspired.
Talks
The National Library of Greece (NLG), leaving its own distinct mark on the Festival, presents 7 lecture events with the participation of renowned scientists and authors, curated by Stavros Zoumboulakis, Chairman of the Supervisory Council of the NLG.