Naxos Festivals & Cultural Events

Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades and counts plenty of religious festivals known since antiquity. Once a year, the villages and settlements of Naxos celebrate their patron saints with traditional dances and music, local delights, and wine served to the people. In the past, feasts were usually held in the countryside, but today locals organize them at the central spots of the island so that everyone can participate in such a celebration.

Religious feasts & festivals

20th of May
The feast day of Ag­ios Thalaleos is celebrated in Agios Thalaleos village.

7th of July
The feast day of Agia Kyriaki is celebrated in Potamia village.

8th of July
The feast day of Ag­ios Prokopios is celebrated in the namesake village.

29th of June
The feast day of Agioi Apostoloi is celebrated with a three-day festival in Melanes village.

14th of July
Locals celebrate the patron saint of Naxos, Agios Nikodeimos Agioritis. Celebrations take place mainly in Chora and, after the church ceremonies, a procession of the icon starts throughout the streets of the capital followed by a lively feast with food and drinks.

17th of July
A festival dedicated to Agia Marina takes place in Koronos village.

25th of July
The feast day of Agia Anna is celebrated in the namesake village.

27th of July
The feast day of Agios Panteleimon is celebrated in Ag­ersani village.

6th of August
The feast day of the Transfiguration of Jesus the Saviour is celebrated in the villages of Glinado, Damarionas, and Kourounochori.

15th of August
The feast day of the Virgin Mary. Feasts occur in the villages and capital of Naxos, but the best-known festival takes place in Filoti, at the 200 years old church Panagia Filotitissa, and in Apiranthos, where dancings take place in the afternoon. Hundreds of people arrive to honor the icon of the Holy Virgin.

23th of August
The feast day of the Holy Virgin’s no­vena is celebrated in Tripodes village.

29th of August
The feast days of Agios Ioannis is celebrated in the villages of Apiranthos, Apollonas, and Agersani.

8th of September
The feast day of Panagia Theoskepasti is celebrated in the villages of Komiaki and Potamia.

Panagia Agrokiliotissa
The feast of Panagia Agrokiliotissa takes place on Holy Friday, before Easter, at Koronos village. It is known as the most significant feast of Naxos, where pilgrims worship the miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin. Locals celebrate with wine, delicacies, and dances.

Cultural events

Dionysia Festival
Dionysia is one of the best-known festivals scheduled in Naxos including concerts, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, and a plethora of other events which are crowned with the wine feast, in honor of God Dionysus. The festival is held during the first weekend of September.

Bazeos Festival
The Naxos Summer Festival is hosted in Bazeos Tower for more than 20 years and features excellent performers from all art fields, not only from Greece but other countries, too.

Rakee Distillery Festival
The Rakee Distillery Festival is also organized in September, as rakee and kitron are the traditional drinks of Naxos.

There have been efforts by the local authorities and volunteers of Naxos to revive the old customs such as the Carnival of Naxos. One of the old customs is the Klidonas Custom, which also takes place in other Cycladic islands.