By Christina Sanoudou

Although the Acropolis in Athens will not be open to the public on the night, an assortment of concerts, performances and other events are scheduled to take place at archaeological sites, museums and other venues around the country on the evening of Friday, August 31, when those venturing outdoors will be able to witness the second full moon this month, a phenomenon known as a blue moon which generally only takes place every two to three years.

The popular summer event appears to be unaffected by the ongoing economic crisis, given that about 120 venues will be opening their doors for the occasion -- up by about 40 compared to last year -- while Culture Ministry staff working on the night are doing so for free.

The closed doors at the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounio proved to be a source of disappointment on the night of last year’s August full moon. However, on Friday, a concert featuring Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Tania Tsanaklidou and Giorgos Andreou is scheduled to take place next to the ancient site -- which will be visible but not accessible in order to ensure the safety of both the monument and those attending.

More events are scheduled to take place around Attica: the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra will interpret works by Greek composers at the Roman Agora; Anastasia Moutsatsou and Marios Strofalis will perform in the Numismatic Museum’s gardens; a screening of Filippos Koutsaftis’s 2000 documentary “Agelastos petra” (Mourning Rock) will take place at the Epigraphical Museum, while Martha Frintzila and Takis Farazis will appear at the Eleusis archaeological site. Meanwhile, at the Acropolis Museum, students from the Volos Music School will perform works in the courtyard, while the museum’s doors will open from 8 p.m. to midnight, with free admission after 9 p.m.

Songs by Manos Hadjidakis will be performed at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki, while the city’s Roman Agora will host an evening of live music and screenings. More music and theater events, along with screenings and guided tours, are taking place at the archaeological museums of Delphi, Lamia, Messinia, Rhodes, Syros and Myconos, among others. Events are also scheduled to take place at the archaeological sites of Dodoni, Mystras and Zonis (with a concert featuring Maria Farantouri), Aristotle’s school at ancient Mieza, the Palamidi Fortress in Nafplio, the ancient theater of Maroneia, the Petralona Cave in Halkidiki and the site of Akrotiri on Santorini, where Mariza Koch will interpret Greek folk and other tunes.

Some sites will remain open to visitors until midnight without any special events taking place. These include Dion, Olympia and Knossos, as well as the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights on Rhodes.

A complete list of scheduled events is available on the Ministry of Culture’s website at www.culture.gr.