With a hymn concert in Eleusis, Manolis Mitsias and Maria Faradouri officially open, on August 27, this year’s Aeschyleia, one of the longest-running festivals in the Greek territory.

With special emotion and pride, Manolis Mitsias will perform a “cantada in the city with his song “Elefsina once”, on site at the archaeological site. I’ve sung it countless times, it’s my charm, it’s what I started my career with,” said the elite singer at the presentation of the Aeschyleion 2023 program.

The archaeological site, where the opening concert of the Aeschyles will be given, and other outdoor emblematic spaces of the city in special locations, characterize the anniversary program of the 49 years of the festival, but also of its expansion in the city, thanks to the collaboration with 2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe. At the center of the festival’s events remains the emblematic Old Olive Oil Mill, with the beach of Elefsina in the background. A place that has been inextricably linked to Aeschylia and has been loved by the art-loving public.

In this context, Aeschylia supports with a strategic partnership the central exhibition of contemporary art, produced by the 2023 Elefsina Cultural Capital from July 7, at the Old Olive Mill and the X-Bowling Art Center. The title of the exhibition curated by Katerina Gregou is “Elefsina Mon Amour-Looking for the Third Paradise” and 16 artists from nine countries participate.

Music, theater, street opera unfold the program until September 24, when Aeschylia will bring down the curtain with the established Half Marathon, which is consistently supported by the Municipality of Elefsina throughout its course in time.

Aeschylia 2023 is dedicated to the memory of its initiator and founder, former mayor of Elefsina, Michalis Leventis who recently passed away.

“The program of the 49th Aeschylia Festival has been shaped with respect to its history but also to the imperatives of contemporary creation. Moreover, this year is a special year for the organization, which combines the timelessness of the Aeschyleans with the originality that accompanies the actions of the 2023 Eleusis – European Capital of Culture» greeted the mayor of Elefsina Argyris Oikonomou and vice-president of the Cultural Capital at the presentation of the program. He is also acting as president after the untimely death of the president, Despina Geroulanou.

A taste of the announced program is given by the concert with Stavros Xarchakos on the podium, the hip hop night by To Sfalma & Frank the Zapper, the performance of Euripides’ Hippolytus by the National Theater directed by Katerina Evagelatos, the concert for 50 years of presence of Vassilis Papakonstantinou in the discography, the performance with musical theater directed by Irini Georgalakis, Erifilis Giannakopoulou etc.

“Aeschylus is a matrix. From this fertile womb, I dare to say, comes the achievement called 2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe” greeted Michael Marmarinos, connecting the development of the approximately 49 years of the festival with the Cultural Capital. He spoke of the “visionary residents of this restless city, who wanted to take solace in civilization in a dystopian environment at the time.” He roughly characterized the course of the Aeschylia festival from its early years – “a multicultural festival but with a serious difference from its counterparts in the territory: in this multi-collectivity, there were commissions to important artists to create works inspired by the city, which would stay in the city. This genius gesture” as he said, “gave Aeschylus a special character. Extremely important artists – mainly visual artists – found in Aeschylia their first step before going to the Biennales of Europe. How does a regional city become a center of culture? Because to deliver these works you had to visit the city, the place that gave birth to them, where they flourished. This is the equation that led to the European Capital of Culture project” pointed out Michael Marmarinos, concluding that this year’s festival of the Aeschyles is a Special Edition as it was formed by an amalgam of cooperation between KEDE, the cultural organization of the municipality and the organization of the Cultural Capital.

More detailed information on the Aeschylia 2023 program at https://aisxylia.gr