The Benaki Museum welcomes the festive season with an all-day Christmas program filled with guided tours, creative workshops for children, a standout performance, unique gift ideas, and gastronomic surprises.

Starting Saturday, December 13, the museum building at Pireos 138 opens its doors from 10:00 to 22:00, inviting visitors of all ages to enjoy a full festive experience.

Program

11:00 – 12:00 & 13:00 – 14:00
Creative workshops for children (ages 6–10).
Participants explore the magical world of painting and printmaking through the works of Chryssa Romanou, in the exhibition “PROTOLEIA: From Early Writing to Mature Work.”

Limited spots available.
Purchase tickets: tickets.benaki.org

13:00
Guided tour of the exhibition “PROTOLEIA: From Early Writing to Mature Work.”
Discover the artistic language of 11 significant Greek artists, guided by art historian and exhibition co-curator Haris Kanellopoulou and guest art historian Anny Malama.

Limited spots available.
Purchase tickets: tickets.benaki.org

14:00
Guided tour of “Dimitris Pikionis: Aesthetic Topography.”
Explore the pathways designed by the renowned Greek architect, guided by archivist-architect Evangelia Tsiantoula from the Benaki Museum’s Archives of Modern Greek Architecture.

Limited spots available.
Purchase tickets: tickets.benaki.org

15:30 — Performance: BOLERO by Antonis Foniadakis

Internationally acclaimed choreographer Antonis Foniadakis transforms Maurice Ravel’s iconic Bolero into a powerful performance about endurance and balance — a dance that becomes a tribute to the force of life.

The repetitive rhythm of Ravel’s music acts as a vertical pulse, vibrating through the dancers in a physical and spiritual battle of stamina.
Performing on the delicate trampoline membrane, the dancers tame the hypnotic rhythm, reaching a shared state of catharsis and collective energy.

Credits
Choreography: Antonis Foniadakis
Dancers: Gavriela Antonopoulou, Vasia Kolliou, Dafni Stathatou, Stefania Sotiropoulou, Margarita Tondisaki
Costumes: Anastasios Sofroniou
Assistant Choreographer: Stefania Sotiropoulou
Costume Assistant: Nikoleta Anastasiadou
Music: Bolero (Maurice Ravel)
Production: Karamalegos Bros – Innovative Event Solutions
Organization & Production: Goodheart Productions

The performance is presented in collaboration with Flux Laboratory and organized within the exhibition “Playgrounds & Games 2000–2025,” an initiative of the Swiss NGO ART for The World.

Free entrance

All Day (10:00 – 22:00)

At the museum café-restaurant, a festive menu awaits you, featuring warm drinks and wine curated by Dipnosofistirion.

The Museum Shop offers unique Christmas gift ideas from the new collection “The Benaki Universe: Christmas Among the Stars.”
Ornaments, charms, and handmade items inspired by the museum’s collections promise to bring festive magic — with select items available at special prices.