Tip of the day – A visit at Stavros Niarchos Park is always a good idea!

• December 13, 2021

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is absolutely a must visit in Athens,  and one of the most impressive buildings in the city. To learn more about this cultural space, designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), there is an english language guided tour and takes place inside the state-of-the-art building complex that includes the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera as well as the interior and exterior public space surrounding the buildings.

To get there, there is a free shuttle bus from Syntagma, which also makes a stop at Syggrou-Fix that goes directly there. You can see the timetable here.

You can combine your visit with various  activities for kids and adults such as Climbing Wall,  Mini Volley, Mini Basket, Basic Mat Pilates, SNFCC Runing team, Dancing Fountains at the Canal, Yoga in the park, Football skills, Tai Chi basic practices, Mini tennis etc

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Carnival at the SNFCC

On Carnival Sunday, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) welcomes the public to an open celebration at Stavros Niarchos Park, filled with color, rhythm, and imagination. Creative workshops, games, face painting, and various activities create a vibrant, participatory setting, inviting people of all ages to dress up and immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere. The celebration reaches its peak with a grand concert at the Great Lawn by Rosanna Mailán & The Orchestra.

A multidimensional artist—performer, singer, and musician originally from Cuba—Rosanna Mailán presents a dynamic music and dance program at the SNFCC, featuring international and Greek hits in salsa, mambo, and cha-cha rhythms. Accompanied by a 10-piece live brass and percussion orchestra—composed of Cuban and Greek musicians—and a team of dancers, she creates a festive experience inspired by the Latin American carnival tradition.

The stage presence and choreography are directed by Stella Koutsoulidou, who, along with three dancers, enhances the carnival element, transforming the concert into a complete music and dance show. The performance is designed as a seamless two-hour program with continuous audience interaction, inviting everyone to dance and become an active part of the celebration.

The stage presence, costumes, and movement create an atmosphere of celebration, rhythm, and color. The project Rosanna Mailán & The Orchestra is a modern, vibrant proposition, perfectly tailored to the spirit of Carnival and the open character of the SNFCC, offering an experience of music, dance, and collective participation.

Schedule
11.00 – 12.00: Open Latin Dance Class
11.00 – 15.00: Face Painting
11.30 – 14.30: The Colors of Cuba: Creating Carnival Masks
12.00 – 14.00: Rosanna Mailán & The Orchestra

Check here more details and plan your visit!

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Clean Monday at Stavros Niarchos Park

On Clean Monday, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) hosts a musical “feast” dedicated to the sky and the earth, where sound, movement, and collective memory converge. With an unceasing rhythm, song, and dance, the celebration unfolds as a journey through the musical tradition of Hellenism, celebrating nature, freedom, and the deep human need for coexistence.

Ancient songs and melodies from across the Greek world alternate in a rhythmic and mystical manner, engaging in a dialogue with modern melodies inspired by our traditional folk music. Past and present coexist, serving as a reminder that tradition is not a museum relic, but a living and active part of our daily lives.

Vasiliki Karakosta invites and unites leading musicians and singers from different generations and regions, composing a unique gathering for the first time. A colorful musical ensemble that, guided by collective experience and the sound of memory, transforms Clean Monday into a celebration of shared uplift and hope.

The Dance Department of the Cultural Society of Athens University Students will participate with a performance of traditional Greek dances and folk customs.
Instruction and curation: Maria Papadopoulou, Theodoros Vrakatselis
Cretan dance instruction: Dionysis & Michalis Kryfos

With the kind participation of 6 students from the Music School of Athens:
Panagiota Maliora
Evelina Solomon
Phoebe Stankoglou
Aphrodite Christofilopoulou
Alexia Biri
Anastasia Raptaki

Credits
Theopoula & Lampriana Doitsidi: The legendary voices of Thrace
Kyriakos Gouventas: Violin
Maria Anamaterou: Voice
Petros Chalkias: Clarinet
Andriana Achitzanova: Voice, Ney
Panos Skouteris: Tsampouna, Gaida (Bagpipes), Flutes, Clarinet
Alexandros Magklaras: Voice
Ioanna Riga: Santouri
Leonidas Potsis: Violin
Dimitris Tsekouras: Double bass
Nikos Chalkias: Lute
Kostas Sideris: Lute
Andreas Pappas: Percussion
Thanasis Makos: Percussion
Kostis Giannakopoulos: Sound engineer
Vasiliki Karakosta: Voice and Artistic Curation

The concert will be broadcast live on the radio by Deftero Programma 103.7.

Schedule
11.30 – 14.30: Art Activity: Dreaming Kites
12.00 – 15.00: Creative Screen Printing at Stavros Niarchos Park
12.00 – 15.00: Heaven and Earth Feast

Check here more details and plan your visit! 

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100 years Takis

This May, the works of internationally acclaimed visual artist Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis, 1925–2019) return to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in collaboration with the Takis Foundation – Research Center for Art and the Sciences (KETE), as part of the centennial celebration of the artist’s birth.

Four representative works by the iconic Greek sculptor—one emblematic Aeolian and three Magnetic Wall Sculptures—will be on view in the public space of the SNFCC until the end of October. Together and individually, these works highlight key aspects of Takis’ practice as a leading figure in Kinetic Sculpture, a pioneering artist known for his ingenuity and insight. Magnetism, among other forces, was a fundamental element in his creative process.

But how can art connect with humanitarian action?

“I believe that all of our important acts in the present are connected to our past. Mine is no exception.”—Takis

A committed humanitarian, Takis held deep admiration for doctors—whom he considered heroes—and in 2009, donated one hundred Magnetic works to Médecins Sans Frontières Greece (Doctors Without Borders Greece) to support their mission. Three of these works are exhibited in the SNFCC Lobby as part of this presentation.

This exhibition is held in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières Greece. Until 31 May 2026.

Admission
Free admission

More info here

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Exhibition: Claudia Wieser: Surroundings

Claudia Wieser’s outdoor sculptural constructions create an immersive environment for exploration. In Surroundings, featuring works created specifically to be displayed on the Esplanade of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Wieser’s Modernist-inspired geometric sculptures examine the intersection of art and the object – the aesthetic and the functional.

The exhibition Surroundings centers on a meticulously crafted free-standing stage adorned with more than 1800 clay tiles that were attentively hand-painted by the artist in her Berlin studio. Wieser, who trained as a painter, leaves traces of her brushstrokes in each vibrantly-colored tile. The sculpture serves both as a performance stage and a public space for assembly, prompting visitors to become consciously aware of their surroundings. It is an invitation to slow down the pace and be present in the moment. The geometric structure is embedded with built-in seating meant to encourage interaction and the exchange of ideas, drawing upon the rich history of art and design —from the democratic spaces of ancient Roman forums and ancient Greek theaters to the architectural principles of Bauhaus craftsmanship.

Check more details here and plan your visit until February 25th 2026.