With sparkling events and activities for every age group, the City of Athens welcomes the Christmas season. Until 11 January, the city’s festive program includes musical walks, concerts, parties, theatre performances, exhibitions, creative workshops for children, guided tours and, for the first time, a large Christmas Market at Kotzia Square.
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas stated:
“ This year, Athens puts on its festive attire in a way that blends tradition with modern creativity. ‘A tapestry of celebration we create together’ — with decorations, music, carousels, a Christmas market, parties and children’s activities across the streets, squares and cultural venues of our city. Because Christmas is all of us: companionship, stories, smiles and moments that stay with us forever. My heartfelt thanks to everyone in the Municipality who worked to bring this festive scene to life — the Culture, Sports and Youth Organization, Technopolis, the Athens Development Agency and Athens 9.84. I wish you all a joyful holiday season filled with health, love, optimism and peace.”
Christmas Market at Kotzia Square
From Saturday 20 December to Tuesday 6 January, Athens hosts its very own large Christmas Market for the first time, transforming Kotzia Square into one of the brightest and most cheerful spots in the city center. Visitors will find decorated wooden stalls offering sweet and savory treats, warm drinks, and gift ideas, while the “Kids Corner” provides free creative workshops and festive activities for children.
A full day will be dedicated to the youngest visitors, as the Christmas Market presents an all-day family festival. At the heart of the market, a dazzling carousel completes the holiday experience for children and adults. Music takes center stage, with melodies and DJ sets from major radio stations spreading from the “Music Corner” across the market. The city’s main concert stage is set this year in Kotzia Square, ready to host beloved artists in live performances: Kids Radio Banda, Billie Kark, Nefeli Fasouli, and the explosive Athens All Star Party featuring Street Outdoors Soundsystem, Yucatan, Deerislnd and Tropical — transforming the market into the biggest holiday dance floor.
Athens Santa Run 2025
On Sunday 21 December at 10:00 a.m., Mayor Haris Doukas will give the starting signal for the Athens Santa Run 2025 in front of the Athens City Hall (Athinas 63) — the city’s most festive running event. Open to everyone — adults, children and even pets — the run includes a Santa costume and commemorative medal for all participants. Registration costs €12 and is free for children. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the City of Athens Reception and Solidarity Center (KYADA) and to support the Municipality’s sports programs. Race kits will be collected that same day at Kotzia Square. There is no competitive character or timing — everyone keeps their own pace and participates simply for the joy of the experience. The 2.8 km route starts and ends at City Hall, passing through Athinas, Monastiraki, Ermou, Agion Asomaton, Peiraios and Omonia.
Activities for Children and Families
Libraries, the City Gallery, the Arts Center, the “Melina” Cultural Center, the Museum of Folk Art and Tradition “Angeliki Chatzimichali,” the City’s Creative Learning Centers, the Maria Callas Museum, the Athens Children’s Museum, the Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens Book Space, as well as parks and squares, transform into vibrant festive corners for all ages. Children and families take part in artistic workshops where they create ornaments, postcards, traditional Christmas boats, and small holiday crafts using colors, clay, plaster, fabric and paper — inspired by the city’s exhibitions and musical themes. Lantern-making, garlands, puppet crafts and even entire Santa-themed paper villages spark children’s creativity. Games, music-and-movement workshops, interactive activities and Christmas storytelling complete the festive atmosphere.
Music Events and Concerts
The Christmas Market’s concert stage and “Music Corner” broadcast the rhythm of celebration. The Athens Municipal Philharmonic travels through neighborhoods, squares, pedestrian streets, hospitals and cultural spaces, spreading melodic holiday surprises.
The AI Christmas Orchestra of the Athens Digital Arts Festival appears in city squares, where live musicians and artificial intelligence “perform” together in real time, creating an immersive sound-and-light experience.
At Olympia, the Maria Callas Municipal Music Theatre hosts its annual holiday concert by the Athens Big Band, featuring this year Penny Baltatzi and Philipp Weiss. The Maria Callas Museum’s “Listening Club” presents Songs for Winter.
Angelika Dusk leads a sing-along party at the Kypseli Municipal Market, while Creative Learning Centers and the City Gallery resonate with children’s voices, Christmas songs and carol performances. The pedestrian street of Fokionos Negri hosts a special Big Band concert, and parties organized by city radio stations fill Korae Square, Agia Irini Square and Mesolongiou Square with festive energy.
Theatre, Exhibitions and Guided Tours
Performances and artistic storytelling bring color once again to the holidays. At Olympia, Tchaikovsky’s classic Nutcracker returns in a new large-scale production. The City of Athens Gallery presents a retrospective exhibition of Kyriakos Mortarakos and becomes a festive backdrop for children’s theatre. The Maria Callas Museum welcomes visitors to The Christmas of Zacharias the Wolf, while the Museum of Folk Art and Tradition “Angeliki Chatzimichali” hosts the collective exhibition The Carols, showcasing Greek holiday traditions.
Across the city, Creative Learning Centers become small theatre stages, and together with the “Anna and Maria Kalouta” multipurpose venue, present musical theatre shows with goblins, elves and Christmas adventures. Shadow-puppet icon Karagkiozis takes over the “Melina” Cultural Center. Puppet theatre, dance and storytelling performances at the Kypseli Municipal Market, Athens Book Space and Prombonas Park bring beloved characters to life.
The Longest Night of the Year
Pop-up stages, concerts, DJ sets, street parties and unique culinary events spring up across Athens. From the pedestrian streets of Salaminos, Voukourestiou and Ermou, to Protogénous Street, Agios Andreas Square, Monastiraki Square, Victoria Square, Mesolongiou Square, Rizari Park and the Moxy arcade — Athens celebrates the winter solstice starting Saturday 20 December, filling the city with jazz, classical, Latin, electronic and alternative sounds. On Sunday 21 December, a special surprise awaits visitors at Eleftherias Park, where telescopes will be available for observing the stars of the Attic sky on the longest night of the year.
Christmas Eve – The Night of Wishes
On Wednesday 24 December, Kotzia Square lights up once again for the city’s beloved holiday tradition, The Night of Wishes. Visitors are invited to release biodegradable lanterns into the sky along with their hopes for the new year. Starting at 17:00, radio station Athens 9.84 broadcasts live, creating one of the most magical atmospheres of the season.
New Year’s Eve at Syntagma Square
On Wednesday 31 December, the heart of the city beats at Syntagma. From 22:00, the Athens Municipal Philharmonic sets the festive tone with holiday melodies, leading into a night of live music, rhythm, dancing and surprise artists.
