Kalymnos Festivals & Cultural Events

Like all Greek islands, Kalymnos celebrates many religious festivals, dedicated to the various villages’ patron saints. These communal feasts afford a unique glimpse into the island’s authentic customs and visitors are more than welcome to attend. They are always accompanied by traditional music and dances, as well as by copious quantities of exquisite local delicacies. Of particular interest is the Sponge Diver’s Dance, whose steps symbolize —and often fatal— accidents sponge divers suffered in the past.

Religious feasts & festivals

The best occasions to experience the local customs present themselves in the religious feasts and festivals, which are always accompanied by age-old recipes, traditional music, and dancing.

• Easter Sunday
The people of Kalymnos celebrate Easter Sunday with a spectacular “battle” waged between the two parishes of the island. Parishioners gather on the slopes of the two mountains that tower over Pothia and engage in explosive merrymaking, throwing dynamite sticks that turn night into day.

• June 24th
On the 24th of June, the locals celebrate the feast of Agios Ioannis. At dusk, small bonfires are lit on the beaches and the harbors of the island and people leap over the flames, chanting a rhyme dedicated to the saint. Pebbles are also thrown into the fire and are then tossed into the sea. Each participant must dive into the sea to retrieve their own pebble, which is believed to be a token of good health.

• July 27th
On the 27th of July, the feast day of Saint Panteleimon, a big panigyri takes place at Panormo.

• August 15th
On the 15th of August, Kalymnos celebrates one of the greatest feasts in the Christian calendar, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. Festivities are organized in many of the villages, including Vathy, as well as in the islets of Telendos and Pserimos.

Cultural events

Of major interest are the annual festivals of Rhodes which involve concerts, art exhibitions, theatrical performances, and other important happenings which boast the enthusiastic participation of hundreds of visitors and locals alike.

• Honey Festival
Every August, a honey festival takes place in the central square of Pothia, where Kalymnian producers come to exhibit their high-quality products.

• Tsambouna Festival
Organized by a cultural association, the Argos Tsambouna Festival gives a prominent place to the tsambouna, a type of traditional bagpipe, and involves an all-night feast accompanied by plenty of music and dancing.