Naxos Festivals & Cultural Events

Naxos is the largest island of the Cyclades and has 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

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

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

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

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

•​​​​​​​ July 14th
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.

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

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

•​​​​​​​ July 27th
The feast day of Agios Panteleimon is celebrated in Ag­ersani village. August 6th The feast day of the Transfiguration of Jesus the Saviour is celebrated in the villages of Glinado, Damarionas, and Kourounochori.

•​​​​​​​ August 15th
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.

•​​​​​​​ August 23rd
The feast day of the Holy Virgin’s no­vena is celebrated in Tripodes village. August 29th The feast days of Agios Ioannis is celebrated in the villages of Apiranthos, Apollonas, and Agersani.

•​​​​​​​ September 8th
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

• Bazeos Festival
The Naxos Summer Festival has been 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.

•​​​​​​​ Raki Distillery Festival
The Raki 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.