The Meleagris Art Festival has been held since 2023 at the eponymous Meleagris Farm in Spata, a 100-acre olive grove with ancient olive trees, where domestic animals and birds live freely, such as Greek sheepdogs, guineafowl (from which the farm gets its name), ducks, swans, pheasants, and peacocks. It is a true farm, a living organism that hosts art amidst nature.
The non-profit organization that organizes it (Meleagris Classic – Urban Non-Profit Company for rural nature and culture) consists of Tasos Mentis (farmer), Christina Manolaki (lawyer and production manager), Magda Nikolaidou (piano soloist and artistic director), and George Mentis (Professor at the Athens Law School).
The heart of the events beats in a glass concert hall (in the form of a “winter garden”), where the audience enjoys music with a view of the olive grove. Thus, the natural environment becomes the backdrop for art. After the concerts, warm hospitality with local delicacies and fine local wine follows: ideal conditions for discussion with the artists, exchange of impressions, and generally a multisensory experience — where sound, taste, and landscape coexist harmoniously.
The festival aims at musical education and artistic enjoyment, presenting high-level events that seek positive critical evaluations and broader acceptance from the realm of classical and contemporary music. Emphasis is placed on highlighting contemporary Greek creation, through new works by Greek composers, many of which have been presented in world or pan-Hellenic premieres. Additionally, the festival focuses on presenting works from the international repertoire, both from the field of contemporary creation and through live revivals of past masterpieces. The festival sometimes extends its activities to other forms of artistic expression (painting, sculpture, ceramics, etc.), occasionally framing musical events with visual arts activities, thus enhancing its multifaceted and interdisciplinary character.
The Meleagris Art Festival is not just a cultural institution; it is a way of life, a breath of culture in the plain of Mesogeia. It was born to fill the void of such artistic activities in the region, which is constantly developing residentially but remains culturally underrepresented, fully dependent on the capital’s center. However, the festival’s audience is not limited to the residents of Spata, Paiania, Markopoulo, Koropi, Pallini, Rafina, and the surrounding area; Mesogeia is much closer to Athens than we think, and it is an ideal destination for an artistic getaway amidst nature.
The Meleagris Art Festival is an invitation to a world where music blossoms in nature – and the audience is invited not only to watch but also to experience.
The next concert at Meleagris Farm
“PIANO 2²: 2 pianos – 4 pianists”
Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 8:30 PM
