The ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the iconic theater at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, will close after the summer for restoration and renovations, scheduled to last three years.
The theater, completed in AD 161 and then renovated in 1950, is the cultural hub of Athenians during the summer months. While theater and dance grace its stage, music is its cornerstone. Renowned artists who have performed here include Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Coldplay, and Greece’s own Maria Callas.
Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis were among the Greek composers who performed there. More recently, renowned Greek singer Marinella, collapsed on stage in the middle of a performance.
Its closure will be a profound loss for spectators who have long enjoyed first-class performances under the stars in one of the world’s most iconic open-air theaters.
Closure of the Odeon Herodes Atticus will affect the Athens Epidaurus Festival
The Odeon of Herodes Atticus recently opened the 70th season of the annual Athens Epidaurus Festival, a cherished annual tradition for many Greeks.
“When (people) think of the Athens cultural scene, everyone thinks of the festival and Herodion,” said Katerina Evangelatos, the festival’s artistic director since 2019, calling the theater by its commonly used Greek name. “It has become a synonym of the festival. It is the heart of the festival,” she told Associated Press.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that although the venue’s closing date is certain, at the end of summer, its reopening is not.
“This will depend on the problems that the studies will reveal,” she said in an interview to Greek radio station Skai last month. “What is certain is that at least three years will be needed.”
The closure of the Herodes Atticus means the Athens Epidaurus Festival will need to consider alternatives for the next few years.
The theater was built in AD 161 by Herodes Atticus in memory of his Roman wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theatre with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber.
It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in AD 267.
The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then, it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.
Related: The Monumental Projects of Herodes Atticus in Greece