The Matala Beach Festival has been drawing tens of thousands of music enthusiasts to Crete each summer, and this year’s event takes place June 22 to 24 at Matala — the legendary beach where hippies lived in caves during the 1960s and 70s. Follow the Matala Beach Festival page on Facebook to receive information about this year’s event when details are announced.
Parties in paradise: Music lovers looking to combine fun in the sun and sea with live music and DJ events can choose from several high-profile festivals being held at various locations in Greece again this summer.
So far, dates have been announced for four major events that will draw thousands of music fans to some of the most popular islands in Greece this summer — Crete, Ios, Mykonos and Rhodes.
They include the annual Matala Beach Festival on Crete, the Swedish Midsummer Festival on Ios, the Lindos Rock event on Rhodes, and the XLSIOR Festival on Mykonos.
I will update this post when the dates and locations of additional major music and party events are announced.
Check the links provided under each promotional image for further information and updates about those specific events.
The Lindos Rock live music event will be held from June 20 to 30 in Lindos village on Rhodes. Check the Rockers Reunited webpage for further details about participating acts and ticket sales.
One of the most popular party events on Ios island every year is the Swedish Midsummer Festival, which in 2018 will take place on Friday June 22. Check the Life is a Beach Party website for further details and announcements.
Attracting more than 30,000 gay and gay-friendly participants, XLSIOR Festival is the biggest annual party on Mykonos, and will take place from August 22 to 29 in 2018. Exclusive themed DJ events will be held every afternoon and night of the festival at venues in Mykonos Town and at the island’s top party beaches. See the XLSIOR Festival website for information about tickets and events.
Friday October 13 is Greek Me party time at The Ocean Club on Naxos
Swing Bar on Naxos presents live jazz, swing and rock music on Friday October 13 and Saturday October 14
On Saturday October 14, Akri Bar on Milos is having a Summer Never Ends party with music by DJ Nikos Zoulias
There’s another Can’t Wait party at The Ocean Club on Naxos on Saturday October 13
Pantelis Karanikas entertains at Naxos Cafe on Naxos on Saturday October 14
Marabou club on Andros launches its autumn season on Saturday October 14 with guest DJ Deleasis (Stamatis Mavrakis)
On Saturday October 14, Santorini’s Koo Club holds its season closing party
The Ocean Club on Naxos is hosting a Street Latin Party on Sunday October 15
Vaggelis Germanos appears for live shows at Naxos Cafe on Naxos on Friday October 20 and Saturday October 21
Hercules Koktsidis will play Greek and mainstream music for the Greek Them All party at Marabou Club on Andros on Saturday October 28
~ Updated on Friday October 13 ~
Beyond Mykonos: This roundup of top parties and special events on select islands in the Cyclades is a supplement to my popular Mykonos party scene 2017 post.
This listing includes major events taking place on Ios, Naxos, Santorini and other nearby islands which many Mykonos partygoers visit during summer holidays in Greece. I have added this party listing in response to numerous requests from readers who were wondering where they could find good parties, besides Mykonos, while they are touring the Cyclades.
Please turn to page 2 of this post to see lots more upcoming parties and special events in the Cyclades.
A tour of the heavenly island of Mykonos!! With an exclusive and amazing video that highlights the unparalleled beauty of the island, the journalist and owner of Mykonos Live Tv Peter Nazos invites us to escape to Mykonos! Among the picturesque narrow streets, next to the churches and the monasteries, behind the freshly painted shutters, through the living tradition, the vitality of the night, the rocky hills and the heavenly beaches, the island of the wings can not hide its incomparable charm. Walk in the idyllic cobbled roads, dive into the deep blue and experience the unique atmosphere of the "queen" of the Cyclades. This is Mykonos, a top vacation choice!
This video by Mykonos LIVE TV shows some of the popular beaches and tourist attractions that draw huge crowds to Mykonos every year
Intriguing island: It seems everybody loves Mykonos, Countless people love its atmospheric beaches, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, and happily spread the word about how fantastic everything is. And there are likely just as many who love to criticize and complain, warning anyone who will listen not to go to Mykonos because it’s overpriced, overcrowded and overly commercialized. With so much talk, whether by exuberant fans or equally enthusiastic detractors, it’s no wonder Mykonos is the most famous of all the Greek islands. Remember the expression “There is no such thing as bad publicity?” Well, Mykonos gets plenty, yet its popularity continues to soar.
I think there’s a very simple reason: Mykonos has tremendous visual appeal. Watch the two videos I’ve published in this post, and it’s easy to see why millions of people want to go there. Professional photography helps, no doubt, but similarly enticing images of the island’s breathtaking sights and scenery have appeared for many years in news and social media, travel publications, lifestyle websites, fashion and design magazines, and hit movies all around the world. Heck, I’ve been to Mykonos more than any other place in Greece, yet these videos make me feel like rushing right back.
The film at the top of this post, produced by Mykonos LIVE TV, does a great job of selling the island’s good looks. It presents fabulous views of the iconic landmarks and attractions that have made Mykonos a household name over the past five decades: beaches, bougainvillea, brilliant white buildings, charming churches and chapels, the Little Venice seafront, the photogenic pelican, the impressive Alefkandra windmills, the incredible blue skies and turquoise seas, the sensational sunsets, and much more.
However, there is another popular expression that applies to Mykonos: “Beauty is only skin deep.” Although the narrator of the Tripment travel website film, below, makes a point of mentioning the island’s biggest blemishes, warts and flaws, the video views of bustling beaches, streets and bars do a convincing job of selling Mykonos as an incredibly attractive, exciting, and vibrant place to vacation.
Acknowledging that the island can be extremely expensive and overcrowded during peak season (July and August), the narrator describes Mykonos as “the ideal destination to boast one’s wealth and happiness.” Still, there’s that matchless beauty and alluring aura that make people dream of taking a trip to Mykonos..
“The all-white Cycladic architecture, in combination with the blue colour of the sea and sky, creates really beautiful scenery,” the narrator notes, adding that the 25 Mykonos beaches — “quite a large number” considering the island’s small size — are all “beautiful, with golden sand and crystal-clear blue water.” They might be jam-packed with rental sunbeds and umbrellas, too, but they still look so damned inviting!
Despite its drawbacks, Mykonos “definitely offers a unique experience to its visitors,” the narrator says, and “whether you like it or not depends on your personal taste and style.”
Nevertheless, “the fact is that it is the liveliest destination in Greece as people here enjoy themselves 24 hours a day, non-stop.” Mykonos, he concludes, is “a destination that has made Greece famous all over the world.”
And that’s a really good thing, in my humble opinion.
Even if you can get there only briefly, whether on a cruise, a day tour or a short stopover en route to another island, Mykonos is absolutely worth seeing. There’s nowhere else like it, and that’s a good thing, too.
This clip from the Tripment travel blog dates back to 2014, but little has changed in the interim, and the video still offers an excellent overview of what it calls “the most famous and expensive destination in Greece.”
Cavo Paradiso’s DJ roster for September, including its closing week parties September 20, 22 and 23
~ Updated on Tuesday December 26 ~
While September’s arrival is a sign that summer is winding down, that doesn’t mean the party scene is finished on Mykonos. Although Madon ended its season during the last week of August, many bars and clubs are still going strong. It’s also a great time for major cultural events, including the Mykonos Biennale and the Mykonos Multimedia Festival, both taking place the first week of the month.
Although some venues will start to close up shop over the course of September, many bars in Mykonos Town will remain open throughout the month and into the first half of October, while some of the beach clubs will also stay in operation until at least early October.
You’ll find a day-by-day list of September and October parties below and continuing on page 2 of this post. Please note that most events for October entertainment events will not be released until closer to that month. This post will be updated whenever party details are released.
If you want to see what the party scene was like on Mykonos during earlier months this year, click here.
On Friday September 1, singers Antonis Remos, Ragheb Alama and Mustafa Sandal will perform in concert at Nammos in celebration of the Kurban Bayrami feast for Eid el-Adha. Also in the entertainment lineup for the evening is world-renowned belly dancer Oryantal Didem .
The 2017 Mykonos Biennale — a festival celebrating art, dance, music and short film — takes place September 1 to 5 at locations around the island.
Another major cultural event on the island this month is the Mykonos Multimedia Festival 2017, featuring multimedia performances, interactive installations and Internet art. It’s being held at the Sefanos Syrioti Hall on Meletopoulou Street each evening from September 1 to 3.
On Friday September 1 and Saturday September 2, Tropicana beach club is holding special parties to welcome the arrival of September and to celebrate Eid al-Adha
Claptone and Valeron play Cavo Paradiso on Friday September 1. See page 2 for a list of other events being held at the club this month
VOID‘s Hip Hop Nights continue on Friday September 1 with DJ Robbin Jefferson and DJ Hulk on the decks