Extensive traffic restrictions and changes to public transport services will be introduced in Athens and Thessaloniki on Wednesday, 28 October, as Greece marks Ochi Day, commemorating the country’s refusal to surrender to the Italian ultimatum in 1940.

The annual celebrations, which include student and military parades, religious ceremonies and wreath-laying events, will result in temporary road closures, parking restrictions and adjustments to bus, Metro and tram services.

In Athens, the Syntagma Metro station will close temporarily, while tram services will terminate earlier than usual on certain routes. In Thessaloniki, the military parade along Megalou Alexandrou Avenue will lead to extensive restrictions across the city centre and waterfront.

Athens: Roads closed for the Oxi Day parade

Traffic police will introduce restrictions in central Athens from early Wednesday morning to accommodate the official religious service at Athens Metropolitan Cathedral and the student Ochi Day parade outside Parliament.

From 6:00am until the conclusion of the religious ceremony:

Mitropoleos Street will be closed along its entire length, including intersecting streets up to the first parallel road.

From 9:00am until the end of the student parade, traffic will be suspended on the following roads:

• Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, along its entire length, including intersecting streets up to the first parallel road.
• Panepistimiou Street (Eleftheriou Venizelou), along its entire length, including intersecting streets up to the first parallel road.
• Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, between Vasileos Konstantinou Avenue and Panepistimiou Street, in both directions, including intersecting streets up to the first parallel road.
• Syngrou Avenue, between Athanasiou Diakou Street and Dionysiou Areopagitou Street.
• Athanasiou Diakou Street, along its entire length, including intersecting streets up to the first parallel road.

Parking and stopping restrictions will also apply in the affected areas, with motorists advised to avoid central Athens throughout the morning.

Athens Metro and tram: Changes to services

Public transport services in the capital will be affected by the celebrations, particularly around Syntagma Square and the parade route.

Syntagma Metro station: The station is expected to close at 8:00am. Metro trains will continue to pass through the station without stopping until police authorise its reopening.

Tram Line 6 (Pikrodafni–Syntagma): From 8:00am, services will terminate at Fix instead of Syntagma.

Tram Line 7 (Asklipieio Voulas–Akti Poseidonos, Piraeus): From 9:00am, services will terminate at the SEF stop.

Bus and trolleybus routes passing through central Athens may also be temporarily diverted or shortened in accordance with traffic police instructions.

Normal services are expected to resume gradually after the official celebrations and parades have concluded.

Oxi Day celebrations in Athens: Full programme

The official programme for Wednesday, 28 October, includes ceremonial gun salutes, the raising of the Greek flag on the Acropolis, a religious service and the traditional student parade.

According to the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, the schedule is as follows:

6:47am: Ceremonial gun salutes from Lycabettus Hill, accompanied by morning musical performances by military and security forces bands.

8:00am: Official raising of the Greek national flag on the Acropolis.

10:00am: Thanksgiving service at Athens Metropolitan Cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece.

10:40am: Wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by representatives of state and public authorities.

11:00am: Student parade in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, featuring school pupils, Scouts, Guides and representatives of organisations for people with disabilities.

The parade will take place outside the Hellenic Parliament, in the presence of the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sport.

Thessaloniki: Major road closures for the military parade

In Thessaloniki, extensive traffic and parking restrictions will be imposed for the annual military parade, scheduled to begin at 11:00am on Wednesday.

The parade will take place along Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, one of the city’s principal waterfront roads, with restrictions extending to surrounding streets.

According to the Thessaloniki Traffic Police Directorate, stopping and parking will be prohibited from 3:00am on Wednesday until the conclusion of the parade on the following roads:

• Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, throughout the section affected by the celebrations.
• Grigoriou Papandreou Street, between Megalou Alexandrou Avenue and Mitropolitou Kydonion Street.
• 30is Oktovriou Street, along its entire length.
• Pavlou Mela Street, between White Tower Square and Tsimiski Street.
• 3is Septemvriou Street, between Megalou Alexandrou Avenue and Stratou Avenue.
• Agias Triados Street, between Megalou Alexandrou Avenue and Vasileos Georgiou Street, where the restrictions will remain in force until 3:00pm.

Thessaloniki: Roads closed from 5:00am

From 5:00am until the completion of the military parade, all vehicle traffic will be prohibited on:

• Megalou Alexandrou Avenue.
• Grigoriou Papandreou Street, between Megalou Alexandrou Avenue and Mitropolitou Kydonion Street.
• 30is Oktovriou Street, along its entire length.

Further road closures will be introduced gradually from 7:00am, affecting:

• Markou Botsari, Karaiskaki, Kallidopoulou, 25is Martiou, P. Syndika, Paraskevopoulou, Chatzi and 28is Oktovriou streets, on the sections between Vasilissis Olgas Avenue and Megalou Alexandrou Avenue.
• Stratigou Kakavou Street.
• Pavlou Mela Street, between White Tower Square and Tsimiski Street.
• Soulioti Street, between Kallidopoulou Street and Stratigou Kakavou Street.
• Ethnikis Amynis Street, between Tsimiski Street and Nikis Avenue.

Additional traffic restrictions may be introduced on neighbouring roads depending on conditions and the number of spectators attending the parade.

Motorists are advised to remove parked vehicles from restricted areas in advance and follow instructions issued by traffic police.

Public transport in Thessaloniki

The military parade and associated road closures are also expected to affect bus services operating through central Thessaloniki, particularly routes serving Megalou Alexandrou Avenue, Vasilissis Olgas Avenue and the surrounding waterfront neighbourhoods.

Temporary diversions and changes to bus stops may be introduced while the restrictions are in place.

The supplied announcement does not specify individual bus routes or confirm any changes to the Thessaloniki Metro timetable.

Traffic police will gradually reopen affected roads following the conclusion of the parade, once it is considered safe for normal traffic to resume.

Residents and visitors in both cities are advised to allow additional travel time on Wednesday morning, particularly when travelling to central areas or attending the celebrations.