Madonna celebrated her 68th birthday in Corfu, where she has been holidaying in Greece in recent days, choosing a taverna in Kouramades, a picturesque village on the island, for her birthday evening.

The “Queen of Pop” arrived in the village on the evening of Sunday 16 August with her 30-year-old partner, Akim Morris, several of her children who have accompanied her on the trip, and the rest of her party.

Madonna, who has tried to keep as low a profile as possible throughout her stay in the country, was driven to the village in blacked-out vans with an escort, while two of the village’s roads were closed off for her arrival.

According to a Kouramades resident who spoke to Protothema, locals were asked to close their windows as the singer arrived, in order to preserve the privacy she had requested. Police were reportedly also present in the village.

Her destination was Atzardo, a traditional meze taverna serving Corfiot and seasonal dishes, where the birthday celebration had been arranged. Madonna arrived in a sparkling dress with a floral hairband and chose to sit outside.

Musicians performed for the occasion, giving the evening a strong Greek flavour. Among them were the Mpoufetzides, a folk band known for rebetiko and traditional Greek popular music, as well as the Agios Spyridonas children’s and youth choir, named after Corfu’s patron saint.

One of the songs played was “O Pio Kalos O Mathitis” (“The Best Student”), a well-known number by Yiorgos Zambetas, one of the most influential Greek bouzouki players and composers of the twentieth century. The celebration was rounded off with the traditional Greek custom of smashing plates.

A visit had been planned to the village’s Panagia church, but Madonna didn’t show

Before dinner, Madonna had intended to visit the Panagia, the Virgin Mary church, in Kouramades. The local priest was waiting for her, as the church had opened specially for the occasion.

However, because of the large crowds gathered in the area, Madonna ultimately decided not to go ahead with the visit, choosing to limit her outing to the meal instead.

A brief trip to Meteora before her birthday

Shortly before her birthday, Madonna made a brief visit to Meteora on the Friday.

The singer travelled to the area from Corfu by two helicopters, together with around 12 people, including her son. The visit lasted about three hours, from 4pm to 7pm.

Madonna visited the Holy Monastery of Varlaam, one of the working monasteries at Meteora, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Greece known for its clifftop monasteries perched on towering rock formations. The monastery had opened specially for her visit, having otherwise been closed to the public at the time.

At Varlaam, she met the abbot, Father Benedict. According to a monk at the monastery, Madonna spoke with him and asked, among other things, for spiritual guidance, as well as questions about the komboskini, a knotted prayer rope used in Orthodox monastic tradition, that he was holding.

After this brief visit to Meteora, Madonna returned to Corfu, where she chose to celebrate this year’s birthday.