EVENTS

 The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) has now established itself as a favourite destination for Athenians for the celebration of Carnival. As every year, the SNFCC welcomes Lent with live music, dance and creative activities for children, through a rich program. On Sunday 2 March, a street band with Afro-Brazilian percussion, a DJ and a Latin band will fill Stavros Niarchos Park with energy and rhythm. On Clean Monday, March 3, the SNFCC celebrates the Koulouma with a big traditional feast with Greek dances and songs and invites young and old to fly their kites in Stavros Niarchos Park.

The events on Sunday 2 March and on Clean Monday are free of charge thanks to the donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

Sunday, March 2 at the Stavros Niarchos Park is all about celebration! It’s the perfect chance to break away from the everyday routine, unleash our imagination, and explore different worlds. Live music, percussion parades, a DJ set, workshops for all ages, costumes, fun, games, and dancing set the tone for a Sunday unlike any other.

Ο DJ Palov kicks things off with a mix of jazz, funk, hip hop, reggae, and dub, handing the baton over to the Los  Petralonicos  and Daniela Bolano , who bring a unique fusion of Latin, swing, jazz, and traditional sounds. Meanwhile, the multicultural percussion ensemble Bloco Swingueira  spreads its explosive energy and Brazilian rhythms throughout the Stavros Niarchos Park.

Los Petralonicos 
Το μουσικό σχήμα των Los Petralonicos συνδυάζει τους ψυχεδελικούς ήχους του Αμαζονίου -μια μοναδική μίξη από latin, swing, jazz- με παραδοσιακά ακούσματα της Λατινικής Αμερικής (Cumbia Psicodelica και Chicha Peruana) που ταξιδεύουν το κοινό σε μουσικά μονοπάτια γεμάτα ενέργεια και νοσταλγία. Στις ζωντανές τους εμφανίσεις το κοινό γίνεται μέρος της παράστασης, γεμίζοντας το χώρο με τραγούδια και χορό. Από τις γωνιές της Αθήνας μέχρι τις μεγάλες σκηνές, οι Los Petralonicos καταφέρνουν να μεταδώσουν τη ζωντάνια και την αγάπη τους για τη μουσική σε κάθε ευκαιρία. 

DJ Palov
A true musical explorer, DJ Palov turns each of his sets into an exciting journey full of rhythm and energy. Fusing Latin, cumbia, afro, jazz, funk, hip hop, reggae, dub, and bass, he highlights sounds from all over the world. If he’s not onstage at major European festivals alongside artists like Quantic, Nickodemus, or Bonobo, he’s likely digging deep into global discographies searching for rare gems. As a co-founder of the labels Cast-a-Blast (as Palov & Mishkin) and Carnibal Records (with Panama Cardoon), he has made his mark on music production. Today, he continues his creative path through Spang Recordings in collaboration with his longtime friend and musician Angelos Angelidis (Los Tre, Patatatiti).

Bloco Swingueira
Exuberant and energetic, Bloco Swingueira is a percussion band formed in 2014. Every performance they give evokes the spirit of a Brazilian carnival, featuring samba afro and samba reggae rhythms that get the crowd moving. They’ve been an integral part of Carnival celebrations at the SNFCC from the start, offering boundless energy and rhythm to all. Beyond dozens of live shows, they also host percussion classes and workshops led by renowned teachers from Brazil. 

On Monday, March 3, we welcome Lent and spring with a grand traditional festival!

From 12:00 to 15:00, ethnomusicologist Lambros Liavas curates and presents a panorama of Greek musical and dance traditions on the Great Lawn, inviting everyone to partake in the ritual of the traditional festive gathering.

With in-depth knowledge of Greece’s traditional music, gained through academic research and travels to every corner of the country, Lambros Liavas shows us how to send off the Carnival period in the age-old way. Carnival mimic dances blend with kalamatiana, kangelia, and tsamika, Epirotic pogonisia, Macedonian syrta, Thracian zonaradika, Constantinopolitan hasapika, Smyrnaic karsilamades, Cretan pentozalia, and island balos dances. Αποκριάτικοι μιμικοί χοροί μπλέκονται με καλαματιανά, καγκέλια και τσάμικα, ηπειρώτικα πωγωνίσια, μακεδονίτικα συρτά, θρακιώτικα ζωναράδικα, πολίτικα χασάπικα, σμυρναίικους καρσιλαμάδες, κρητικά πεντοζάλια και νησιώτικους μπάλους. 

Setting the tone is the dynamic ensemble led by Alexandros Arkadopoulos (clarinet and flute) and Giannis Pavlopoulos (violin and vocals). Joining them is Thanos Stavridis, a master on the accordion, while Tasos Valkanis adds a festive Macedonian brass flavor with his trumpet. Also taking part are Iordanis Kouzinopoulos on the laouto (lute) and vocals, and Manousos Klapakis on percussion. Six exceptional singers of the younger generation—graduates of the NKUA Postgraduate Program “Ethnomusicology and Musical Practice”—accompany them: Sevastiani Vletsi, Emmeleia Damanaki, Marianthi-Ippolyti Katsari, Chrysi Tzavla, Dimitra Tsagkaraki, and Varvara Tsiviki.

The event also features Pontic lyra player Ilias Avramidis,, as well as Cretan lyra player Manolis Bountalakis .  .

The dance troupes of the Folk Society “Xoropaideia”  (directed by Vasilis Karfis and Maria Ziaka) and the Pontic Association  “Argonafte Komninoi”  (led by  Kostas Savvinidis)),  invite us all to join hands and dance in their circles!  

Curated & Presented by: Lambros Liavas 

The event will be broadcast live by ERT2.