Pop, soul, R&B and disco diva Diana Ross on Wednesday dazzled a crowd of thousands of viewers in Athens, Greece, in a unique performance at the ancient Panathenaic Stadium, also known as Kallimarmaro – the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble.
The world-acclaimed performer, Diana Ross, one of the most iconic figures in the global music scene, traveled to Greece with her children and grandchildren for the one-off concert, in support of ELPIDA Association of Friends of Children with cancer, which will receive part of the proceeds.
In an Instagram post before the concert, Diana Ross expressed her first impressions of Athens.
“Oh how beautiful it is here… the sun, the light, the colors of the sunset, the sky, the birds, it’s heavenly. There’s so much love here. I can’t wait to sing for you,” she wrote.
Athens was the last stop of the artist’s UK and EU tour. Fans in France, The Netherlands, and Switzerland and across the UK enjoyed Diana Ross live in concert throughout June and July, and the tour will continue with eleven more shows in the U.S. between July and November.
Diana Ross “movin’ it” at 81 in Athens concert
Greek pop idol, 2005 Eurovision winner and The Voice of Greece judge, Elena Paparizou performed Greek and international hits as the opening act before the legendary Diana Ross set the stage on fire.
Lively, restless, and in great mood, Ross entertained her Athens audience performing a selecion of her greatest hits and beyond, in one occasion singing with her daughter.
During her performance of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, Ross also brought her youngest grand-daughter on stage.
The diva changed three stage outfits; a red tulle ball gown, a lime green figure-hugging dress and finally a silver sequined bodysuit.
Prompting her audience to dance to the tunes, she joked; “You know what they say – move it or lose it! And I am still moving it at 81!”.
Twice a Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement Award winner
Diana Ross has enjoyed a long and successful career that spans over half a century.
The Detroit-born artist has sold over 100 million records and, among other achievements, has been honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award – twice. Once in 2012 as a solo artist, and again in 2023, as the lead singer of The Supremes, with whom she started her career.
For the same reason, Diana Ross is one of the few recording artists to have received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one as a solo artist and the other as a member of The Supremes.
Miss Diana Ross: The Diva, The Icon, The Legend. Καλλιμαρμαρο, 16/07/2025. pic.twitter.com/ir57acpWWJ
— Anti-Social (@nikolaossigkas) July 16, 2025
In 1972, Diana Ross was cast to portray another great diva, Billie Holiday, on the silver screen. The biopic “Lady Sings the Blues” gained critical acclaim and won her the Golden Globe Award for “New Star of the Year – Actress.” Since then, she appeared in another four fiction films and one documentary, being nominated for a Golden Globe twice – the first one having been her 1972 screen debut as Billie Holiday.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named Ross the “female entertainer of the century.”
Her music has inspired many artists through the decades, including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and Madonna. According to the sampling music database site, WhoSampled, Ross’s music has been sampled over 744 times and covered over 382 times, predominantly as a solo artist.
