Culture Minister unveils positive results for Greek Festival in terms of record numbers
The figures are in for the Greek Festival, and it appears to be good news. Posting a 10 percent increase in attendance compared to last year, the figures were recently unveiled by Culture Minister Michalis Liapis, who attended the final performance of this year’s festival in Epidaurus, a controversial interpretation of Aeschylus’ «Agamemnon,» last weekend. Liapis thanked festival Director Giorgos Loukos – the program’s «soul,» according to the minister, noting that the festival attracted about 220,000 visitors. «On a number of occasions, tickets sold out only a few hours after going on sale,» said Liapis. «Ticket sales came to 6 million euros. The festival’s opening up to new kind of productions, in new spaces, aiming at a younger audiences, all this search for new ideas and trends has born fruit.» The Ministry of Culture also released figures concerning large turnouts at the events for the August 16 full moon, when 70 archaeological sites remained open until 1.30 a.m. According to the ministry, the sites attracted more than 64,000 visitors: about 15,000 people flocked to the Acropolis, 2,500 made the trip to Sounion, 3,000 visited Hadrian’s Arch and 780 toured the National Archaeological Museum. Concerts had been organized at all venues, except for the Acropolis.
