The Athens and Epidaurus Festival returns in summer 2027, running from June through August across its two headline venues: the Odeon of Herodes Atticus beneath the Acropolis in Athens and the ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in the Peloponnese. The 2027 programme will be announced through the official festival website in spring 2027; in recent years the full schedule has been confirmed by April or May.
The Two Venues
Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens The Roman odeon dates to AD 161 and seats around 5,000. Built into the southern slope of the Acropolis, it offers one of the most extraordinary performance settings anywhere in the world - the lit Parthenon visible on the hilltop above, the Roman arches of the stage building framing the performers below. The Herodion, as Athenians call it, hosts opera, dance, classical music, and theatre throughout the summer. Evening performances under the open sky, with the city spread below, are among the most memorable live performance experiences Greece offers.
Productions at the Herodion are international in character - recent seasons have included collaborations with La Scala, the Paris Opera Ballet, and leading dance companies from across Europe and North America.
Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus The Epidaurus theatre is considered the best-preserved ancient theatre in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its extraordinary acoustics - a whisper on stage is audible in the uppermost rows - are the result of a precise arrangement of limestone seating that filters low-frequency background noise. The theatre seats around 14,000.
Performances at Epidaurus are held on Friday and Saturday evenings from early July to mid-August. They are predominantly classical Greek drama - tragedy and comedy - performed in modern Greek, typically by the National Theatre of Greece. The experience of sitting in a 2,400-year-old theatre watching an Aeschylus or Sophocles production, in the landscape where these plays were originally performed, is without equivalent.
How to Attend
Tickets for both venues go on sale through the festival website (aefestival.gr) typically in April. Productions at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus sell out quickly - particularly the international opera and dance events. Epidaurus tickets also sell fast for the most anticipated productions.
For the Herodion, plan to arrive at least 45 minutes early. Seating is allocated but the Acropolis views benefit from early arrival in the venue. The site is a short walk from the Akropoli metro station.
For Epidaurus, the theatre is approximately 150 km from Athens - about 2 hours by car via the E65 motorway and the Peloponnese highway. The festival operates coaches from Athens specifically for Epidaurus performances; these depart from a central Athens pickup point and return after the show, offering a direct alternative to driving. Bus tickets are purchased alongside performance tickets on the festival website.
Combining with a Wider Trip
Epidaurus sits in the northeast Peloponnese, close to Nafplio - one of the most attractive small cities in Greece, with a neoclassical old town and a Venetian fortress. Many visitors combine an Epidaurus performance with one or two nights in Nafplio, adding a Peloponnese leg to an Athens trip.
The full Peloponnese itinerary - Nafplio, Mycenae, Olympia, Monemvasia - is one of the most rewarding land routes in Greece for travellers who want ancient history beyond Athens. Our Peloponnese road trip guide has the detail.
Athens tours and guided experiences covering the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, and the city’s classical sites set the context for understanding why an Epidaurus performance lands as it does - the cultural thread from ancient theatre to the present festival is continuous.