For half a century now, the Aeschylia Festival has not only been a high-level cultural institution, with wide recognition, it is also an institution of vital importance for Elefsina and its future, an institution that, through culture, unites the history of the city with the present.

The unique historical heritage of the city of Elefsina and its participation in the modern course of industrialization of the country intersects in a wonderful way at the Aeschyleia Festival, which brings artistic events of high aesthetics to the emblematic site of the Old Olive Oil soap factory.

Great personalities of music, theater and visual arts turn every summer the Old Olive soap factory and the city of Elefsina into a pole of attraction for visitors and becomes the best ambassador of the city’s progress and creative perspective.

The reach of the Aeschylia Festival goes far beyond the city of Elefsina. The Festival has not only won the recognition of the people of letters and the arts, but has also been the catalyst for the promotion of the city of Elefsina as the European Capital of Culture 2023.

The successful course of the Festival since 1975 has become the basis for the transition of Elefsina from an industrial city to a cultural destination with an attractive environment for young people with know-how and innovative ideas to develop their activities.

The industrial area of ​​the Old Olive soap factory has been chosen for the Festival events because it is the symbol of the industrial period of Elefsina, a city that was a pioneer in the industrialization of the country. Today, in a new era, the Old Olive soap factory becomes a contributor to the modern course of Elefsina and continues to represent its creativity in a different context.

From 1875 until the end of the 60s, the Old Olive soap factory symbolized the transition of Elefsina and the country to the industrial age. Today it is an emblematic space for artistic expression and a key contributor to the timeless success of the Aeschylia Festival.

For 2024, the Festival Organizing Committee, in collaboration with the 2023 Elefsis Cultural Capital of Europe, is preparing the Artistic Program of the Aeschylia Festival, organized by the Municipality of Elefsina under the auspices of the Hellenic Tourism Organization.

The goal is for the 50th Aeschylia Festival to be an extremely successful event, which will become a pole of attraction for the art-loving public of all Greece with high-level events. The Aeschylia Festival will have a unique contribution to the promotion of the city of Elefsina as an attractive summer destination for art lovers.

More broadly, for the Municipal Authority, the Aeschylia Festival is linked to the policy of for the creative management and utilization of inactive industrial spaces that are a key element of the city’s cultural heritage. The preservation and protection of them and their utilization as places of culture is a constant choice of the Municipal Authority.

The 2024 Aeschylia Festival will have a rich artistic program worthy of its long history and special characteristics. For another year, Elefsina will become the ideal destination for the art-loving public, highlighting its rich history and contemporary creativity.