Cycladia | Island Events

Chania is a traditional yet cosmopolitan destination for travelers from around the world. Crete Island boasts an exceptional culture depicted in its people’s language, customs, gastronomy and festivities.

Visiting Crete and especially Chania, for being the most popular area of the island, visitors will sure dive into the splendid Cretan culture and tradition still alive in its people’s everyday life.

During summer months festivals and culture events are scattered throughout Chania prefecture, promising endless fun and an opportunity to live the revival of customs and traditions. And keep in mind that Cretans are people who enjoy having fun, goof food and, of course, homemade raki!

A celebration that takes place through the entire summer from May to September and features various performances, exhibitions, folklore concerts and dances and fairs. Singers and groups from all around the world gather in Chania to give their performances of mainstream, folk or rock music. Directors, actors and troupes act in various Greek and foreign plays: musicals, ancient Greek tragedies, classical novels, contemporary works come to life in various performances scattered throughout Chania. Most of the events take place in the Old Harbour and within venues in the Old and New city of Chania.

A yearly festival for rock music lovers featuring various Greek and foreign bands that will definitely rock you up! The festival usually takes place during the first half of August since 2002 and it is a great opportunity for travelers to meet Greek rock stars and upcoming groups apart from the very well established rock and metal bands of the world, like Paradise Lost, Rotting Christ and Anathema. For more info, visits the official website of the event: http://www.chaniarockfestival.com/.

The Celebration takes place each year between May 20th and 30th to commemorate people who were killed during the Battle of Chania in 1941 against German possession. The venue of the festival is Maleme, a small settlement near the city of Chania, where the original fight was given. The festival includes also sports competitions.

A very popular celebration across Greece on the 15th of August that could not be left out in Chania City and throughout the prefecture’s villages. The main festivities take place in the main monasteries of the area where people enjoy food, drink and folk music and dances.

The festival is held every year on April 23rd in the village of Assi Gonia, a traditional mountainous village in the are of Apokoronas, to honour sheep and their valuable contribution to healthy nutrition. Thousands of sheep are brought in public to be milked and honoured in the small church of Agios Georgios. Attendants will enjoy the music, dances and food while they can even try the milk gathered.

In the beginning of June each year the popular Cherry Festival is held in the village of Karanos where visitors will also enjoy food, drinks and traditional music together with a whole lot of cherries!

Every summer at the beginning of August in Kasteli village, at the north west part of the prefecture, a feast dedicated to the tasteful Cretan wine takes place with the necessary traditional music, local specialties and Cretan dances. Not to be missed!

In the honour of Eleftherios Venizelos, a famous personality in Greece and especially Crete, the Venizelia Festival with various sports activities and competitions takes place each year at the beginning of June at the National Stadium of Chania city.

Throughout the year and especially in the summer various popular festivals take place in the entire Chania Prefecture, such as:

Various cultural festivities in Vamos agricultural traditional village including the event of Hohlidovradia, meaning nights with snails in Greek, when locals cook snails (hohlioi) and celebrate this with dance, eating and drinks.
Elafonisia Festival in Inahorio municipality to celebrate the monument of Elafonisi with athletic games, performances and live music between July 21-28
In Sfakia, on the 15th of September, at the village of Saint Nikitas an athletic festival is organized each year. Also, in mid Augut, in Anopolis of Sfakia the Gravier cheese festival with delicious graviera cheese, plenty of raki or tsikoudia drink and traditional Cretan music. Take care because locals like playing with guns!
From February to March the carnival takes place in various places throughout Chania and especially in Chania with colourful parades, endless fun and raki
Sardine Festival organized by fish taverns in the beach of Chania new city with delicious fish dishes and a lots of wine and raki too in September
Chestnut festival held on the third Sunday of October in Elos village. Sweet or roasted chestnuts are amongst the delicacies offered there. Tsikoudia or raki, dancing and music, essential as always!
Tsikoudia Festival in the area of Voukoulies to celebrate the distillation process of distillation of this popular and beloved Cretan drink. During the first week of November
New Year celebrations organized by the Municipality of Chania on 31st December and 1st January at the New Market Square of the new city of Chania