THE CHIOS FESTIVAL 2025
August 25 – September 7, 2025
With a sense of respect and admiration for the Culture, history and traditions of Chios and looking to the future and its prospects with an expanded perspective and extroversion, the North Aegean Region welcomes for the 4th consecutive year the Chios Festival (THE CHIOS FESTIVAL), an institution that honors the History and Culture of the place, while at the same time opening channels of dialogue and cooperation with the world.
From August 25 to September 7, the island will host important figures from the fields of Literature, Arts, Science and Entrepreneurship, in a multifaceted dialogue that combines cultural paths, contemporary concerns and creation.
This year’s route begins at the archaeological site of Emporio (25/08), where Despina Tsardaka , Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Chios, Vassilis Lambrinoudakis , Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, and Rebecca Sweetman , Professor and Director of the British School of Archaeology in Athens, will talk about archaeology and the timeless memory of the place, with the music of the band Lyrica closing the first evening, presented by Yiannis Tzoumas .
In Nea Moni (27/08), His Eminence Metropolitan of Chios, Psara and Oinousses Mr. Markos , Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni , Ioli Kalavrezou , professor of Byzantine Art at Harvard and member of the Academy of Athens, and Teresa Shawcross , professor of Byzantium at Princeton, will highlight aspects of the Byzantine tradition, hosted by Yannis Tzoumas , while the musical poem “Lord, I cried out” by Thodoris Economou will be heard in Avgonyma, with the participation of Antigone Pappou .
The discussions continue at Castelli, the historic 15th century mansion in Myrovolos Kampos (29/8), through the speech of Apostolos Tzitzikostas , European Union Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, the discussion of Prof. Kevin Featherstone, associate professorLSE, Chair of the Anglo-Hellenic League with Loukas Tsoukalis , associate professor of the National University of Athens and chairman of the Board of Directors of ELIAMEP and with personalities such as Lord Simon Woolley , Baron of Woodford, Principal of Homerton College/Cambridge University, Ioulia Tseti , president & CEO of OFET Group and Sofia Staikou , vice president of Lyktos Holding SA, former president of the Piraeus Group Cultural Foundation which will be honored by the Governor of the North Aegean Konstantinos Moutzouris. Issues of politics and culture will be put on the table, with Irini Nikolopoulou in coordination, before the evening closes with a dazzling opera with Elena Kelesidou , Inca Balavanova, Giorgos Davlas and Dimitris Giakas on the piano.
The next day (30/8), in the same historical setting, Eliza Vozeberg , MEP, Irini Veniamis , businesswoman in the shipping sector, Sofia Denisi , professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts, and Mimi Denisi , leading actress, playwright and director, will provide “A Woman’s Scent in the Myrtle Plain”, in an evening hosted by Grigoris Arnaoutoglou and filled with the melodies of Evanthia Reboutsika . visual artist Despina Stathakiswill offer projects specially designed for the Institution.
At the Castle of Chios (31/8), the public will have the opportunity to attend the opening of the exhibition of the artist Nakis Panagiotidis at the Hamidi Mosque, curated by Dr. Fotis Papathanasiou , in the presence of Michele Casamonti from the Tornabuoni Arte gallery and under the auspices of the Italian and Swiss Embassies. Paolo Cuculi , Ambassador of Italy, and Giovanni Sacraluce , art historian, will be present, while the Musicians of the Carlo Felice Genova Theater and the traditional sounds of Southern Italy from the Agrikó band will set the tone for a celebration that honors history, tradition and its connection with ancient and modern Greece.
The discussion on artificial intelligence and its ethical implications will bring to the historic Castelli (01/09) Panagiotis Roilos , Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard and President of the European Cultural Center of Delphi, who will deliver a welcome address, Nektarios Tavernarakis , Full Professor of Molecular Systems Biology at the Medical School of the University of Crete and former President of FORTH, Konstantinos Filis , Professor of International Relations, Director of the Institute of International Affairs, Lou Marinoff , Professor of Philosophy, City University NY and Xiaojun Ding , Professor of Philosophy, Xi’an Jiaotong University, with Katerina Gagaki moderating a dialogue that will conclude with a musical program by Nineta Vafia , Fotis Nezis and Sofia Papadimitropoulou .
The cultural evenings at Castelli (02/09) will continue with the presence of Nikos Sifounakis , Architect – former Minister of Culture, Lydia Karra , president of the HELLENIC SOCIETY of Environment and Culture (ELLET), Niki Boutari , founder of justanumber.gr , Nicholas Pappas , professor of Philosophy, City University NY and Michele Casamonti , Tornabuoni Arte under the coordination of Katerina Gagaki , closing with the notes of the soprano Christina Poulitsi .
The science theme will culminate at Castelli (03/09) with Dr. Stelios Papadopoulos, father of biotechnologyand journalist Tasoula Eptakoili , with speakers Dr. Stamatis Krimizis , astrophysicist – Academy of Athens, Prof. Wyn Evans , Institute of Astronomy/University of Cambridge, Dr. George Nounesis , president of NCSR “Demokritos” and Darwin Caldwell , professor of Robotics, president of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) before the music closes this evening with Nineta Vafia , Fotis Nezis and Sofia Papadimitropoulou .
At the Mastic Research Center (04/09), the conference “With an eye on the Future: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Culture” will highlight new perspectives in creation and entrepreneurship, with speakers such as Ambassador Selim Yenel , president of the Global Relations Forum, Prof. Dr. Hakan Ürey , vice-chancellor for Research and Innovation/Koç University, Dr. Hala El Miniawi , founder of LIC/UK, Dr. Abdulhadi Brenjakjy , Liacademy.co.uk , Turgut Guneri , entrepreneur – investor, Apostolos Valtas , President of the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association (P.F.S.), Konstantinos Giannopoulos , president of “The Smile of the Child”, Maria Loizidou , om. professor at NTUA, Antigone Lymberopoulou , managing director at the Hellenic Development Investment Bank, Dimitris Bourantas , professor of Business Administration/Athens University of Economics and Business and dean of New York College, Stratos Simopoulos , chairman of the Research & Technology Committee of the Parliament and Leonidas Christopoulos , CEO of EKKOMED-Creative Greece, under the coordination of Korina Georgiou .
Cinema has its own place in the Festival at the Homer Cultural Center (05/09) with the screening of the film “I Exist” and a subsequent discussion in the Chios Plain with the film’s contributors, namely director Giorgos Tsemberopoulos , screenwriter Katerina Bey , producer Dionysis Samiotis , protagonist Christos Mastoras, as well as Makis Matsas , transformator of modern Greek discography and owner of Minos/EMI/Universal, while the evening will continue with songs by Stelios Kazantzidis by Chian artists.
The artistic program continues at the Fish Market of Chios (06/09), with the Greek National Opera Ballet , which will present the exciting dance diptych “Return of the summer”, choreographed by ballet director Konstantinos Rigos and music by Hector Berlioz , as well as by Yannis Mantafounis , to music by GNO artistic director George Koumendakis . The GNO Ballet’s tour in Greece is being implemented with the support of a donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to strengthen the artistic extroversion of the Greek National Opera.
The curtain will fall in the central square of Anavatos (07/09) with leading actress Karyofyllia Karambetis in the sensational one-act melodrama “Medea” by Czech composer Jiří Antonín Benda with the musical accompaniment on the piano of conductor Markellos Chrysikopoulos .
With the support of UNESCO Greece, the Italian and Swiss Embassies, THE CHIOS FESTIVAL 2025 confirms its international character and vision: to travel Chios to the world and bring the world to Chios “with the aura of yesterday in the Culture of Tomorrow”.
SPONSORS OF THE CHIOS FESTIVAL 2025:
EUROBANK
MASOUTIS S.A.
KAMPOS CHIOS JUICE AND SOFT DRINK INDUSTRY S.A.
EKKOMED
