After two years of intensive preparation, SNF Nostos 2026 from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is ready to open its doors and welcome everyone—with free admission—to its biggest version of the summer gathering yet, featuring a rich eight-day program (June 21 – 28) centered around the Foundation’s guiding principle of putting “humanity at the core.” And it couldn’t have been any other way, since the occasion for this year’s event is the 30th anniversary of SNF’s grantmaking, which has reached 137 countries around the world with than 5,700 grants. The main venue for SNF Nostos is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), the fully accessible, state-of-the-art cultural hub in Athens which was given by SNF to the people of Greece in 2017, and to which SNF symbolically “returns” for every SNF Nostos. (Nostos means “homecoming” in Greek.)
ASNF Nostos 2026, a multidimensional festival bursting with scintillating conversation, collective contemplation, engaging art, daring ideas, big-name music, late-night dance, energizing performances, and inclusive sports activities, brings together more than 200 leading voices from more than 30 countries. Among them are notable figures such as NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and Olympic pole vault medalist Emmanouil “Manolo” Karalis, who will discuss competitive sports and the role of support networks with SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. Also featured is stand-up comedian Katerina Vrana, who will discuss the role that comedy played during her darkest hours in one of a series of talks presented by SNF Dialogues. Also taking the stage at SNF Nostos 2026 are: legendary comedian and heart and soul of Monty Python, John Cleese; charismatic actor Willem Dafoe; bestselling author Karen Hao; and distinguished actor Jason Isaacs. Participants also include historian Mark Mazower, who will join a group of creators on stage including scholar Maboula Soumahoro, KPop star Eric Nam, Oscar-nominated director Nisha Pahuja, head of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Mariko Silver, but also… humanoid robots, in a surprise role throughout the week.
A The SNF Nostos 2026 program, co-curated by SNF and the nonprofit journalism organization iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development) includes more than 150 hours of programming; more than 90 discussions, events, and workshops; 16 performances and screenings; and 10 exhibitions. A group of 16 young people from different countries around the world, known as the SNF Nostos Youth Advisory Committee, has also played an important role in shaping the program.
Ahead of the official start of SNF Nostos 2026, SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said, “The central message behind the grantmaking of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which, 30 years after its founding, now extends to more than 130 countries around the world, is: ‘Humanity at the core.’ The SNF Nostos 2026 program unfolds from this central theme and, with the support of dozens of the Foundation’s long-standing grantee-partners, it aspires to offer something meaningful for everyone. That is why admission to all events remains free. This is a conscious choice that reflects our belief that SNF Nostos is not an event for the few, but an open invitation to everyone to participate in a dialogue on issues that concern us all, collectivel, from developments in the fields of physical and mental health to artificial intelligence and the rapid changes it brings, as well as the state of democracy, the role of institutions, and the challenges of the future. Above all, the festival embodies life itself; reflection coexists alongside recreation, and individual experience alongside a sense of togetherness and community. This is the common thread running through everything we’ll experience this year. We look forward to welcoming everyone to SNF Nostos 2026, to sharing this experience in person, and we hope that we—and you—will look back on it with a smile for the next 30 years.”
The program of SNF Nostos is structured around the themes of dialogue, entertainment, and engagement, always with humanity at the core.