Open-Air Theaters in Athens, Greece: Movies Under the Stars

Many of the astir historical unfastened aerial theaters are successful downtown Athens. Credit: Archive Photo

Open-air, oregon “summer,” movie theaters arsenic Greeks telephone them, are an old contented passim Greece. There are much than sixty open-air theaters crossed the portion of Attica and galore of the astir historical theaters tin beryllium recovered successful downtown Athens.

Open-air theaters: a Greek tradition

Open-air theaters are a delight which precise fewer countries provide.

For Greeks, catching a movie astatine a summertime theatre and sipping a acold beverage is routine. For visitors, it is simply a one-off acquisition astir arsenic enjoyable arsenic a dive successful the cool, crystal-clear waters of Mykonos oregon a sojourn to the Temple of Poseidon astatine Sounion.

Every vicinity successful Greece has an open-air movie theater. Some are arsenic aged arsenic the past of theatre itself, perched connected a rooftop with a presumption of the Acropolis; other, much recent, establishments are close connected the water, acceptable to the euphony of sailboat masts swaying successful the summertime breeze.

One of the classical parts of the summertime movie theatre acquisition is the beauteous situation that envelops you for a afloat sensory experience. Many are surrounded by fragrant gardens which implicit the sultry evening with the quintessential Greek fragrance of orangish blossoms and jasmine.

The astir historical Athenian summertime cinemas

The façade of Cine Zefiros, an unfastened aerial creation cinema successful downtown Athens. Credit: Facebook/@Cinezefiros

Cine Zefiros tin beryllium recovered successful the cardinal country of Ano Petralona successful Athens. The cinema, which began cognition successful 1938, has been a classical prime for an outdoor cinematic acquisition ever since.

By the mid 1950s, Cine Zefiros had begun to aerial assortment shows, arsenic good arsenic classical “Karagiozis” performances. The cinema inactive plays old-fashioned, classical movies. The woman of the laminitis inactive owns the cinema, which surely adds a classical and authentic consciousness to Cine Zefiros.

One of the astir unthinkable quirks of this Athenian instauration is that the assemblage shows up to the cinema without knowing what is playing. Instead, patrons indispensable inquire the teller astatine the currency registry what movie they’re buying tickets for!

Cine Thiseio is different classical cinema recovered successful the halfway of Athens. Located successful Thiseio, conscionable a abbreviated locomotion distant from a metro station, the cinema has been lauded arsenic the “best cinema successful the world” by an American writer reporting for CNN.

Patrons astatine this unsocial theatre tin expect to instrumentality successful the breathtaking views of the Acropolis astatine nighttime and a fantastic movie each astatine once.

This theatre went done a renaissance successful the 1980s owed to gaining a new, visionary proprietor named Thomas Maniakis. He was capable to respire caller beingness into the open-air cinema and adjacent performed successful assortment shows during movie breaks. The shows progressive Maniakis  juggling and nonrecreational singers showcasing their talents to guarantee that audiences were thoroughly entertained.

The canteen serves sour cherry foodstuff and a peculiar location wine, arsenic good arsenic rustic tsipouro from Agrinio.

Cine Athinaia, which galore presumption arsenic a sanctuary from bustling metropolis life. Credit: Facebook/@CineAthinaia

Cine Athinaia is an open-air movie theatre located successful the upscale downtown Athens country of Kolonaki. A comparatively modern venue, it archetypal opened its doors successful 1979, but it has been regarded arsenic a hidden treasure of Athens ever since.

Most patrons accidental that this theatre is unsocial for being an highly peaceful, hidden sanctuary successful bustling downtown Athens. The Athinaia serves an iconic “tiropita” cheese pie successful its canteen, which up until precocious was made from scratch connected the premises.

One of the astir historical cinemas successful Athens, Cine Paris successful Plaka. Credit: Facebook/@CineParisPlaka

Cine Paris has been an instauration successful Athens since the dawn of the metallic screen. Sadly, it did not unfastened for summertime 2020, and it is unclear whether it volition run again; however, it deserves to beryllium commemorated arsenic 1 of the astir iconic cinemas successful Greece.

It was founded successful 1920 by a Greek hairdresser who named it aft his erstwhile metropolis of residence, Paris. It closed amidst the economical situation successful the 1960s but was saved by the relation of the cinema, Mary Panou, and her household successful 1986. Panou continued to beryllium the caput relation astatine Cine Paris until past year.

This theatre has a worldwide estimation for bringing excellence to movie screenings. During its operation, it routinely received emails asking to publication tickets from countries arsenic acold distant arsenic India, Canada, the US, and Germany. It has besides been spotlighted by media worldwide.

Clearly, careless of the unfastened aerial cinema you sojourn portion successful Greece, you are guaranteed to person an astonishing time. All of the historical theaters successful Athens are known for a peculiar perk oregon peculiar nutrient they serve. All you person to bash is ask!