This year’s festival in Agios Mamas, Halkidiki, will take place under entirely different conditions.

After extensive inspections of the festival grounds in Agios Mamas, it was decided that, for the first time, there will be no grills, and it appears the amusement park will not operate either.

Giorgos Zabounis, the president of Agios Mamas, discussed the issue on ERT3’s show “Perimeter.”

“This is an unprecedented and unexpected year. Following a directive from the regional government, which obliges us to comply with Law 4849/21 concerning standards for outdoor grills and festivals, the tolerance that existed due to tradition is no longer there. After the recent incident in Kassandra, inspections have intensified, and tolerance has ceased, which is understandable since human life cannot be priced,” he said. Regarding the operation of the amusement park, he added, “If they do not provide the necessary certification and safety documents, they will not be allowed to operate.”

Finally, Mr. Zabounis emphasized that the situation will likely reduce the event’s attendance.

“It will affect turnout. We were looking forward to the festival, but unfortunately, this year we are not at our best. A festival without grills—this will be the first time we experience that. Attendance will surely decrease significantly because the festival was a combination of shopping and entertainment,” he said.